Liberation
by Elizabeth Newsom
Summary: On the dawn of a new empire, a Pantoran slave covertly operates with the rebels, resulting in her capture. She is used as a bounty hunter's payment, given to him to use as he wishes. While she longs to be free, she finds herself becoming strangely attached to her new owner. Could he hold the keys to her freedom?
1. The Rebel Slave

Thick blackness enveloped her. She heard the distant echo of footsteps. Everything was cold and the air was frigid. She shivered. Azura tasted something metallic in her mouth, blood. The air was stale and recycled, but nauseatingly clean. She groaned as her senses and memories came back to her. Her arm was numb and tingly from being laid on. Slowly, she sat up. Azura massaged her limp arm, gently coaxing life back into it. She recalled the past events, analyzing them, searching for where she erred.

_Her crystalline voice resonated in the air as she savored the delicious hum of harmony. She savored the sensations of singing, but Azura wished she weren't singing such melancholy junk. This particular song was about a girl who met a dashing, debonair pilot, who died during a pirate raid. Her sleek purple hair cascaded down her bare shoulders. Her little bright blue dress shimmered in the spotlight and complimented her blue skin. _

She heard the door slide open with a mechanical 'whrr'. Two storm troopers marched into her cell. The cell was a dimly lit, small metal box. Her arms were fastened to the wall by chains. The troopers grabbed her and replaced her old bonds with new ones, a metal restrainer. She tried to pull her arms apart, testing her bonds. She was roughly yanked up by a clone.

_Her smile was warm, but her bright yellow eyes lacked any twinkle of mirth. She let the last, perfect note die away and echo around the cantina. Their applause was slow and erratic, but she couldn't blame them. Most were just coming out of their drunken stupor. All eyes were on her, save those that were too intoxicated to see straight. She mingled with the crowd and accepted flattery with a smile. She fingered her silver necklace as she conversed with a bar patron. Azura resisted the urge to try and tear the necklace off of her. It was the only thing that stood between her and freedom. 'At least I'm contributing to the overall freedom,' she mused. An Imperial moff was in a corner with a few other moffs. They were chatting jovially and looked to be a little tipsy. Azura excused herself and wormed her way through the crowd, closer, and closer. _

The trooper shoved her forward and she compliantly stumbled along, though it was a challenge in her sparkling silver stilettos. She was pushed through twisting steel corridors until they finally reached the lift. There was a bitter, sour taste in Azura's mouth. Her head ached and felt foggy. _Probably the side effects of whatever they used on me. _The two guards, clad in white, stood stoically on each side of her. She inhaled deeply, preparing herself for death.

_She quietly crept closer to the group. _

_ "And then I told him, 'No! You think the empire is some sort of daycare service?!'" _

_ The other moffs laughed. Azura cleared her throat. _

_ "Can I get you anything to drink, sirs?" _

_ One of the young moffs smiled cheekily. "Weren't you that pretty singer?"_

_ "Yes, I was."_

_ "That song was beautiful… just like the singer."_

_ The moffs scoffed and playfully elbowed him. Azura smiled gently. _

_ "Thank you. So, none of you want to drink anything?"_

_ "Eh, do you have any good Grog?" Piped up a wizened old man in the back. _

_ "The best." _

_She gave him a smile before heading towards the bar. She poured a glass full of grog and returned to the table. The old man took a hearty swig of it before letting out a belch. The moffs all laughed. _

"_So, what're your tales? Have any stories for a bored slave?"_

"_Yep." Replied the young officer. "I was born on Corellia. Ya see, I was one out of six and that's why I was best for the operation-"_

"_Operation?"_

"_Yeah, orderin' troops around." The old moff cut in as he laughed dryly. He sharply elbowed the young officer. _

_Azura raised an eyebrow. 'I wonder what he really means by operation.' She continued chatting with them, trying to squeeze out what information she could. Finally, she decided to retire, seeing as she wasn't getting anywhere with the Imperial moffs. She left to her room in the back. Before undressing, she slipped a small comlink out of her drawer. _

"_This is Fizzy Claret, Spacer101, come in."_

_She heard a few seconds of static before a reply came in._

"_This is Spacer101, I heard you lima and charlie. What do you have for a mission report?"_

"_Nothing. There's about six Imperial Moffs, all they mentioned was some operation. I wasn't able to get anything else out of them."_

"_Thank you, Claret. The others have been notified. Check back as soon as you get something." _

"_Understood." She replied before switching the comlink off. _

_A loud banging at the door made her jump._

The lift came to a slow stop and the doors parted, revealing a spacious seating area. A man in dark blue and silver Mandalorian armor was seated across from a very refined moff. The Mandalorian locked his gaze with hers, but it was impossible to see anything through his t-shaped visor.

"_Open up!" Boomed a voice from the other side. _

_She jumped back and gaped at the door. _

"_I SAID OPEN UP!"_

_She could feel herself trembling. She flung the door open, revealing a squad of clone troopers. She fled down the hallway before they could react. One almost grabbed her as she raced by. She burst out of the building and ran down an alley. She could hear their boots pounding the ground behind her. The high heels pinched her feet. She nearly tripped, but caught herself. Azura rounded a corner into another alley. Suddenly, she tripped over a piece of garbage. She landed. Hard. Her head hurt, but she stumbled back up and continued running, only to be tackled by a clone. He held something near her mouth. After that, everything was a blur. _

Even through his helmet, his gaze was piercing.

"This wasn't part of the agreement." He grumbled.

The moff smiled amiably. "Well then, consider it a bonus."

"No, I don't accept." He declared adamantly.

"You're not even going to look her over? You might find her pleasing."

"No!" He hissed.

_Blast it, _Azura thought as she put the pieces together.

"A'rexon, if you want to continue business with the empire, you might want to accept gifts when they come your way."

The bounty hunter fixed a cold glare on the moff. The moff stared back with his icy eyes.

"I. Said. No." He emphasized each word carefully.

The moff quirked an eyebrow. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such a shame… You do understand that while you're here you're under my jurisdiction, don't you?"

The bounty hunter remained silent.

"You deal with forces outside of your comprehension level. All or nothing."

"Fine." He seethed.

The moff smiled stoically. "I knew you'd come to see sense. Give him the key and escort him back to his ship. A full payment awaits you in your account," he added.

The storm troopers hauled Azura to the ship and nearly threw her at the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter seized her arm and led her into the ship. She did a quick scan of her environment. There was a long hallway with three doors on each side, a door at the end, and the entrance she had just come from. He entered the first door on the left, dragging her behind him. The door led into a small hallway with three prison cells on each side. The gray prison cells were unfurnished and big enough for four people to lie down in.

"Wh-what do you plan on doing with me?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.

She stared into the black abyss of his visor. She wondered if there were actually something living in there; something that could feel. She hoped there was.

"I have yet to decide," he replied coolly.

He gave her a last push and activated the laser shield. A wall of yellow plasma appeared, trapping her within the miniature room. He promptly left. Azura sighed. She waited five minutes. Nothing happened. Within the hour, she was tormented by fear and boredom. The longer she waited the more anxious she grew. She still sat in that cell, waiting. _Waiting for what? _She thought. _Am I going to be kept here the rest of my life?_ Azura forced herself to close her eyes and remain still. She had no idea what amount of time had passed when she felt the ship tremble. Ever so faintly, she heard shouts and commotion from outside. Suddenly, she heard someone pounding on the other side of the door. She stood up and cautiously watched the door, watching for whatever awaited her on the other side.


	2. Never Trust a Bounty Hunter

Finally, the banging stopped and the door slid open. A Weequay pirate swaggered into the room, his gun ready at his side. When he saw her, he gave her a wide grin. He was missing his front tooth.

"Now, what 'ave we here?" He approached the cell. "I didn't 'xpect a pretty slave on board. Would you like to get out of here, sweetie?"

"Yes, I would," she replied.

He plugged a device into the panel next to her cell. His fingers danced across the buttons until the plasma shield shut off. Azura suddenly shuddered. She didn't like the way his eyes gleamed.

"Got the chills, sweetie?"

She shrugged and stepped out of the cell.

"Oh, no, no, no. I don't think so."

The pirate grinned and grabbed both of her arms. He began pushing her against the wall of her cell. _Blast it. _Azura realized what a tedious situation she was in. She lifted a foot and slammed the edge of her stiletto heel on the pirate's toes.

"Eeeee-yeaaahh!" He squealed.

Azura took advantage of the situation and ran past him. She was nearly out of the cell room, when he grabbed her hair and yanked her back. She was about to let out a cry of pain, when the pirate pressed a clammy hand against her mouth.

"Shush, shush. Wouldn't want to draw attention to ourselves, would we? Would we?"

He pinned her to the floor. Suddenly, another pirate marched into the room. His massive frame took up the entire doorway.

"Was this? Not usin' the slaves 'fore boss says you can, are ya?"

The pirate pinning her flinched.

"Nah, was just testin' 'er reflexes for 'im, ya see?"

The bigger pirate raised his eye brows.

"Oh, yeah. I guess. Com'on. Boss said that we-"

"Have to be in and out. I know, I know."

The pirate pinning her yanked her up and pushed her in front of him.

They led her back into the hallway. The pirate led her out of the bounty hunter's ship, which was docked in the landing bay of the pirate's ship. Weequay pirates scurried around the landing bay, carrying cargo from one place to the next. Others were just moping around; they appeared to be drunk, but most watched her. Azura couldn't remember when she saw a ship this big from the inside. _It's been so long since I've traveled… _A sharp shove from the pirate brought her out of her thoughts. The area reeked of tobacco and grime. Azura almost tripped. The day seemed to be catching up with her. The adrenaline left her totally spent. Azura barely managed to stumble along. She vaguely recalled ridding a lift, but not much else. Finally, she was forced to her knees before a gnarled Weequay. He looked to be rather old, but in good health. The bounty hunter was already there, his arms were bound behind him and he was on his knees as well.

"Hondo, we found 'im and dis one on the ship. We 'aven't found any valuables."

The pirate leader, Hondo, stroked his chin.

"I see." His voice was slightly creaky. "Bounty hunter," he turned to A'rexon. "No valuables, save this gem," He gestured to her. "Aboard a bounty hunter's ship? Tsk-tsk-tsk. Surely there are more valuables?"

The pirate bent down and looked the Mandalorian in the eye. He remained silent.

"So disappointing. Very well, we will make up for these losses. We'll have to keep you here awhile." Hondo gave him a toothy grin. "Go get the girl something appropriate to wear."

She was led into a room. All around the room lounged female twi'leks, though Azura did see one Zeltron.

"Get 'her somethin' ta wear. See ya later, ladies." The pirate winked before slamming the door behind Azura.

A tall, graceful twi'lek approached Azura. Her eyes and skin were a brilliant emerald. She wore a black outfit, which barely covered what it needed to. She also wore a gauzy black skirt and a golden anklet. She looked over her with the cold eye of a horse dealer.

"Ever danced before?"

"No."

The twi'lek had a smug look on her face and snorted.

"Yurla, bring her something to wear."

A young beige twi'lek nodded and scurried towards a closet. The girl brought out a pale pink piece of cloth, embellished with silver. Azura swallowed and blushed, tinting her cheeks pink.

"I'm sorry, I said I don't dance."

"All or nothing."

"No, I-"

"They'll make you. I'm sure you'd rather do it yourself."

She could feel her face grow hotter.

"Fine." She hissed.

She snatched the cloth and willed herself to change. She'd never felt so humiliated. _I'd much rather be a singer. _She crossed her arms in front of her as the green twi'lek ushered her out.

"Since you don't dance, just lounge around with one of the pirates."

"No! Don't worry, I'll just copy your movements."

She shrugged. "Fine."

Azura stopped when she saw the crowd of Weequays gathered around Hondo. Her feet wouldn't budge any further. A sudden shove from behind made her step forward. She hated being in the spotlight. Most of them practically gaped at her. She saw the bounty hunter stare at her, but quickly lower his gaze. Her throat constricted and she suddenly felt the urge to cry. Azura turned to run, but the green Twi'lek grabbed her wrist.

"Do you want to dance or not?!" She hissed.

"No, I don't want to do any of this. I don't want to be a slave." She sniffled slightly and her eyes watered.

"Tough luck, sweetie."

She dragged her to the center of the room. The Twi'lek began to twirl in beat to the music. Azura moved stiffly, but a venomous look form the Twi'lek made her movements more fluid. She hated the way everyone watched her. She hated the look on their faces. She hated slavery. Finally, the dancing ceased. Different dancers replaced them. Azura felt weak and collapsed in a corner or the room. She was panting and sweating from the dance. Her body trembled slightly. She turned her face into the corner and let hot tears roll down her cheeks. She carefully stifled her sobs. She inhaled sharply through her nose, hoping it wouldn't run too much. She heard someone approach. Her whole body stiffened.

"I'm. Not. Dancing. I'd rather die."

"How about food?" Came a soft voice.

Azura turned around. It was Yurla. She held a platter a fruit, bread, and water.

"Not hungry," muttered Azura.

"Alright, I'll just put it right here."

Yurla gingerly set the platter down and left. Azura stared at the plate of food. Her stomach rumbled. She tentatively reached out and snatched a piece of bread. Before she realized it, she had scarfed down all of the food. Yurla came over with more food and told her she could go back to the slave room if she wanted to. Azura sprinted to the room and finished off the rest of her dinner. She quickly fell into a sound slumber.

She awoke in the middle of the night without knowing why. She shivered in her skimpy outfit. The rest of the Twi'leks were huddled together on sleeping mats. Azura cautiously stood up. She stood there in the dark, listening and watching for five minutes. She silently wove her way in between the sleeping dancers. She yanked on the door handle. Locked. She heard footsteps echoing in the hallway. She quickly laid down on the floor. The door creaked open. The pirate, her captor, peered in. Dim light streamed into the room, illuminating the sleeping Twi'leks. The pirate tip-toed towards a Twi'lek. Azura slipped out of the door. She exhaled soundlessly once she exited the room. She silently ran to the end of the hallway.

Azura came to the main room. Most pirates were snoozing. She hid in the shadows. Once, when she was hiding behind a column, she was sure that the bounty hunter had spotted her. He was in the same place she had last seen him. _But if he had seen me, he would've alerted the others, _she reasoned. For once, she was glad the pirates were so drunk. She ran to the bounty hunter's ship. It was, of course, sealed shut. She tried the other ships. All of them were locked up. Azura ran a hand through her purple hair, pondering how she was going to escape this stink pit. Suddenly, she formed a plan. Azura groaned inwardly. It would require the help of the bounty hunter. She slipped back into the main room. In an understated throne sat the pirate leader, Hondo. Her sharp eyes spotted a bulge in his pocket. _The key? _She snuck past piles of drunk pirates and made her way towards Hondo. Ever so gently, she slipped a metal card out of his pocket. He snorted slightly, but settled back into sleep. Her shoulders slumped in relief. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm. His grip was surprisingly strong. _What should I do?!_ Azura balled her hand into a fist and smashed his face. He froze. He fell down limply.

She sighed quietly before making her way towards the bounty hunter. She knelt down and looked at his visor. Azura tapped his shoulder. He was awake. He tilted his head towards her and looked at her in silence. She inhaled sharply.

"Alright, let's make a deal."

He watched her silently. She saw the he was deliberately trying to look _only _at her face.

"I need your ship to escape. I'll release you if you give me my freedom and drop me off at the planet of my choice."

Something about this negotiation made her feel proud. She was now the bounty hunter's superior. She had his fate in her hands.

"What if I say no?" He whispered.

"Well, then I leave you here and find another way to escape."

"There isn't another way."

"Look, bounty hunter, I control your fate now. You can stay here in captivity or we can escape. You don't have any other options."

"Neither do you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're not free yet. You only came to me because there's _no _other way out. I can put you in the same situation I'm in by merely shouting. Then you'd be right back to where you started."

Azura considered this. She threw a nervous glance at one of the snoozing pirates.

"What do you want?" She looked him dead in the eye.

"You're resourceful," he started.

"So?" She hissed.

"Here's the deal. I keep you as my slave, _but _I don't lock you in the prison cell."

"That's not fair! What kind of a deal is that?"

"Look, your situation is worse than mine. Take it or leave it."

"No, I need my freedom."

"Deal or no deal. I'm going to wake the guards in ten seconds."

"What?! Are you crazy?"

"Ten."

"Look, you can get another slave."

"Nine."

"Just leave me somewhere."

"Eight."

"Don't do this. Neither of us can escape after this."

"Seven."

"Don't you want to escape?!"

"Six."

"Don't!"

"Five."

"_Please!_"

"Four. Three."

"No!"

"Two."

"Listen to me!"

"One-"

"_Fine_!"

He paused.

"Take the restrainers off."

He turned his back towards her. She let out a quiet half sob half sigh, but acquiesced. After the restrainer had been removed, he massaged his wrists and rolled his shoulders.

"Come on," he whispered.

Azura followed him soundlessly. _No freedom. How could I let him manipulate me like that?_ They reached the ship without delay. The bounty hunter was entering the code when Azura suddenly felt cold metal touch her neck.

"Step away from the ship, mate."

The bounty hunter froze and turned around. Azura could feel the hot, rotten breath of someone behind her. She began breathing harder and faster.

"Now, just step away slowly."

The bounty hunter stood frozen to the spot. The pirate behind her tightened his grip on her and pushed knife against her neck. Just when she thought he wouldn't obey, he did. To her shock, he stepped away from the ship.

"Good, now just-"

Azura sharply elbowed him in the stomach.

"Oof!" His grip loosened.

She was tearing herself out of his grip when he grabbed her again. She struggled away, but not before he sliced her leg. She hissed and fell to the ground. The pirate was preparing to jump on top of her when the bounty hunter tackled him. With a sickening 'crunch' Azura knew the pirate was no more. She looked back. The bounty hunter stood up and was dusting himself off. The pirate laid limply on the ground. His neck was twisted at an awkward angle and his eyes were glazed over. Azura sat there, holding her leg and staring at the pirate. She turned her gaze towards the bounty hunter when she realized he was staring at her. Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms. Azura was surprised by this gesture, but held onto his neck anyway.


	3. The Discovery of a Past

Author's Note: Thank you for reviewing my story, trenton6722, I really appreciate it

As she lost blood the world became blurrier and blurrier until it was nothing but smudges. And then blackness.

Azura awoke with a soft groan and wearily opened her eyes. She was in a ship. She could tell by the gentle hum of the engines. She was lying on a table in a small med bay. A thin blanket had been draped over her. She brought it to her chin and shivered. _I wish space weren't as cold… _A door slid open. She sat up, alert and wary. The bounty hunter nonchalantly strolled in. Just by his silhouette, she could see his muscular frame. He walked over to a control panel. Azura cleared her throat. He remained entirely focused on whatever he was doing. She sighed.

"H-how long have I been asleep?"

His head was turned downwards, staring at the panel.

"I asked you a question."

"And I didn't answer." He turned towards her.

She looked at his visor, willing herself to not look away. He took a step towards her. She began to tremble.

"Don't forget your place, slave." He whispered the last part, barely audible.

She was confused and vexed by his behavior.

"What did _I _do?!"

"Nothing. You simply agreed to be my slave." He turned and left abruptly.

_Stupid girl. _She balled her hands into fists and pulled the blanket over her head. For once, she was glad she was alone.

She emerged from the blanket half an hour later and found clothes had been neatly folded and placed onto her bed. It was a gray tank top with black cargo pants, jacket, and boots. She insured the door was secure while she was changing. She observed her new attire. It looked serviceable and was much warmer than what she had been wearing. She used her fingers to brush her hair to the side and braided it into a bun. With nothing else to do, she hesitantly approached the control panel to the door. With the push of a button, the door slid open. Azura cautiously peered her head out of the door way before walking out. _I wonder where he keeps the food. _She took note that the med bay was the second door on the right.

Azura wandered out into the open hallway. Feeling like she was exposed, she rushed to a door and opened it. The room was dark. She warily stepped into the room, feeling her way along the wall. As she blindly edged her was along the wall she felt a pipe jut out from the wall. The pipe had little bumps and grooves. It was hot. She quickly withdrew her hand. Finally, she found the light button. The utilitarian lights flickered on, revealing the engine room. Pipes ran from one wall to the next. In the middle of the room was a giant glowing tube, surrounded by control panels. _No food here. _She left the engine room and went to the next door. The room was bare, its only furnishing was heavy duty crates. Azura folded her arms and cupped her chin. _If I were a bounty hunter, where would I keep my food? _

Azura exited the room and observed the empty metal hallway. On her left was the lift. On her right was the entrance/exit to the ship. _Of course! A bounty hunter would keep his food protected. It must be on the second floor. _She smiled to herself as she boarded the lift. There were only two levels, plus a basement. She selected the second level. The lift stopped. Azura eyes each door carefully. She randomly selected one to the far left.

The door slid open to the dim room. The light cast eerie shadows. Azura felt certain something would leap out and grab her. She proceeded with caution. She froze as she heard someone breathe in deeply. Her eyes slowly adjusted. She made out sparse pieces of furniture: a table, chair, and a bed. She made out a vague lump in the bed, which slowly formed into a person. The person rolled over. She gasped and ran out of the room, slamming the 'close door' button on her way out. She ran to the lift and sprinted to the med bay. Azura closed the door and leaned against it, letting herself drop until she was sitting. She could feel her hands trembling and her legs shaking. _The bounty hunter… Oh, he's going to kill me. Maybe he didn't wake up. _She stumbled towards the metal table and was just lying down when the door slid open.

She bolted upright. The bounty hunter, clad in blue and silver armor, determinedly walked into the room. Azura held her breath.

"I didn't give you my permission to wander around the ship."

"I didn't need it." Azura paused and inwardly gaped at her saucy mouth. "I-I meant…" She began to fumble for words.

"That I didn't say you couldn't?" He suggested.

"Yes, precisely."

He threw a packet at her. She caught it and observed it. It was a cylinder of pale yellow food. She wrinkled her nose slightly. Even as a slave she always had decent food.

"What's _this_?"

"A ration bar. I assumed that if you're really that hungry, you'd eat it."

She eyed the bounty hunter cautiously. _Is this a test? What's he looking for?_

"Who said I was hungry?"

"You haven't eaten since you were captured, at the pirate's base."

"I still am captured."

He paused and abruptly left. Azura scrutinized the cylinder and tore off the plastic. She raised it to her mouth and tentatively took a bite. It barely had a taste, but it was delicious. Azura hadn't realized how hungry she was. The bar was surprisingly filling. Unsure of what to do next, she waited… for five minutes. Azura hesitantly stood up and wandered around the first floor of the ship. She discovered a refresher and an escape pod, though the latter was locked up tight. Curiously, she tiptoed towards the lift. It was unlocked and fully serviceable. She explored the musty basement within a matter of minutes. Azura hesitated slightly before pressing the 'second level' button. The lift slowly rose. The only sound was the hum of the lift, as it pulled her higher. _Not choosing the second door on the left again! _She thought as the lift came to a stop.Azura selected the second door on the right. The door slid open, revealing a small kitchen. There was a metal table with two chairs on one side. One the other was a sink, nanowave stove, and counter. In the corner was a conservator. She opened the conservator. Much to her disappointment, there were only more rations. There were ration bars, ration sticks, ration cubes, and something that looked like cardboard. Azura stared at the bland range of food in mild disgust. She picked out another cylinder of the stuff and sat down at the table, chewing thoughtfully. _Oh my stars, bounty hunters must live a boring life when not hunting anyone. _Azura wandered out of the kitchen and gently crept into the room at the end of the hallway, the cockpit.

The cockpit was very wide and rectangular. Control panels and colorful buttons lined the wall. The main control system was in front of her. There was a wide viewing window. _It's like a panorama of space, _she mused. There were two seats in front of the control panel. The blue hologram of a moff appeared.

"Greetings, do you accept your assignment?"

Azura froze. _What?! How did the hologram activate? What mission? I don't know what he's talking about! _She was about to inform him of this, when another voice spoke up. It wasn't staticky, like the hologram. It sounded very real and echoed around the room.

"Yes, Admiral Kasurd. I have decided to accept this mission, but I would like to discuss the price."

"I mentioned you would be paid 10,000 Imperial credits."

"Yes. I require 20,000."

"Hunter A'rexon, this is a simple task I ask of you. Surely you're capable of doing it for 10,000."

"Twenty."

"You are well aware that the empire can employ others, aren't you?"

"Who else would you hire for this job? I ask a mere 20,000."

"We are simply not able to pay that much. Ten thousand, take it or leave it."

The bounty hunter sighed. "You leave me no choice, Admiral."

"No choice for what?!" He asked, quite obviously alarmed.

"Good luck finding someone else."

The Admiral remained silent and seemed to have a carefully stoic expression painted on his face. The bounty hunter reached for a red button, which would end to the hologram transmission.

"WAIT!" Cried the Admiral.

The bounty hunter paused.

"Very well, 15,000."

"I'll take 17,000, minimum."

"Very well. You are aware of the consequences if your assignment is not completed properly, do you not? I hope you don't fail the empire, A'rexon," He hissed.

"The assignment will be complete soon."

With a 'click' the bounty hunter ended the transmission. The chair swiveled around until the bounty hunter was facing her.

"I don't remember telling you that you could come into the cockpit."

"I don't remember you telling me not to."

The bounty hunter stood up and strode towards her until a mere foot separated them. She could fear her knees begin to buckle, but steeled herself. Something about the bounty hunter intimidated her.

"You're quite a rebel, aren't you?"

Azura froze. _Does he know? _Apparently, he didn't expect an answer and continued talking.

"You are going to be inside the ship for a couple of days. I see you've already found the refresher and kitchen."

_How does he know? _She wondered.

"What am I supposed to _do_ in the meantime?" She asked.

He shrugged.

"I could just go with you," she suggested.

"Ha. You'd have me dead in a second," he snorted.

Azura wasn't sure if he was talking about her incompetence or her actually murdering him.

"And don't think about trying anything," he continued. "Everything will be locked down, save the med bay, refresher, and kitchen."

Azura crossed her arms in front of her. "And how long will you be gone?"

"One to three days. It depends."

She was considering asking him another question, but decided against it. Azura left and retired to the med bay.

She awoke when she felt the ship shudder. _The ship's landed. _ Azura stared at the ceiling. _I MUST get out of here… but how? I'm not a hacker… I'm just a slave inside a ship. _The thought struck her. Its full weight finally impacted her. _I'm trapped. There's no way out of this cage. _Her muscles tensed as she heard the lift coming down. It stopped. She heard more mechanical noises. _The entrance to the ship must be opening. _Curiously, she yanked on the handle to the hallway. Locked. She sighed in disgust and sat down on the makeshift bed. _I. Need. To. Get. Out. _She ran her fingers through her hair and stared at the ceiling. _A vent!_ Azura realized in the back of her mind that this wasn't a holomovie, but she her hope for escape was fervent. Unfortunately, the vent was far too high to reach by jumping.

She observed the medbay. The bed was attached to the side of the wall, opposite of the door. On the other wall was a large piece of electronic equipment. Cabinets had been fastened to its sides. She opened one of the cabinets, reveling two deactivated medical droid. She found its black eyes with three white dots for pupils somewhat disturbing, though she wasn't sure why. She dragged both droids out of the cabinets and set them on top of the bed. She shuffled through the cabinets some more and found several metal cases of what she assumed was medicine. She stacked them on top of each other. She stepped onto her tipsy stack of metal objects. A handle was on the side of the vent. _That's convenient, _she observed. Azura grabbed the handle. The vent came loose without much force. Azura leaned one way as she felt her pile of objects lean the other. There were rods inside the vent, which provided some sort of ladder. Azura was perplexed why there was such a convenient system, but didn't ponder it. She leapt up and grasped the first rung. She scaled the ladder inside the vent until she reached the top. It grew darker as she climbed higher.

"Ow," she complained out loud as she hit something with her head and the ladder came to a stop.

Azura blindly reached for whatever she had hit her head on, hoping it wasn't a dead end. She felt the metal slits of another vent. She pushed on the vent and it popped open. She hit her head again as she reached another obstacle. She firmly massaged her sore head. Azura felt for what she had hit. _A ceiling? _She doubted the ceiling was that low. She waited as patiently as possible while her eyes adjusted. Slowly, she made out vague objects. She had appeared underneath a piece of furniture. She climbed out from underneath it and crawled towards the wall. She felt a rush of relief as she found the light button. With a 'click' the world around her was illuminated. Azura shielded her eyes from the blindingly bleached light.

As her eyes readjusted, she realized she had found her way into the bounty hunter's room. A sparkle of silver caught her eye. On the table, laid a locked. Timidly, she approached the table. Azura fingered the locket. She felt slightly invasive, but couldn't stop herself. With the press of a button, the lid to the locket swung open. Azura gaped, perplexed, at what lay before her.


	4. The Euphoria of Freedom

It was a lovely picture, really. There was a beautiful young lady. Her eyes were a lively emerald and her hair was a rich chestnut. Her face was very pretty and cheerful. The picture was fraying and worn at the ends. Azura frowned at the picture. _Who could this be? Did he steal this? _She discreetly tucked the locket into her pocket. She searched the room for anything else. Underneath the mattress, she found some sort of remote control. She held it up triumphantly, though she had no idea what it controlled. Azura wiggled her fingers before pressing a plain white button. She paused, listening and watching for something to change. Nothing did. She proceeded to press another few buttons. Finally, she heard a door open and close, somewhere in the hallway. Azura ran out of the bedroom. The cockpit door slid open and closed with the push of a button. She pressed the button next to it, which controlled the kitchen door. The layout of the buttons on the remote control was similar to the layout of the rooms the buttons controlled on the ship. _The lower buttons must control the ones on the first level, _she reasoned. _Now, to find out where in the galaxy I am. _

She opened the cockpit and entered. A wide, magnificent panorama of a forest was displayed on the window. Evergreen trees of emerald and bright lime sprung from the ground. Their erected tips pointed to the cloudy white sky. Odd trees of bright colors stood out from the rest. She could spot a gray pond, but the fog enshrouded everything beyond that. _I wonder where this is. _Azura looked at the ship's navigation.

Krant

Region Sector System Grid coordinates

Mid Rim Bothan sector Krant System R-14

_No idea where I am. _She sighed and drummed her fingers on the computer. She sat down at one of the chairs and tried to look up holographic messages the bounty hunter had received. Unfortunately, it was locked and required a passcode. _Blast it. _Azura rested her chin on her hands and stared blankly at the landscape before her. Suddenly, she saw movement. A woman hiked up a hill. She wore her hair in a tight black bun and she wore a light jacket, emblazoned with a bright red Rebel Alliance symbol. She was observing everything through a pair of black binoculars. Azura was surprised when she scanned right over the ship. _Why is a Rebel Alliance member here? Is the bounty hunter a double agent? Maybe she'll help me escape! _Azura grabbed some water and despicable ration cubes before exiting the ship. She inhaled the fresh, un-recycled air deeply. Everything was so crisp and cool and lovely. Azura wondered if this was what freedom felt like. She ran to the area she had seen the woman. Gone. The rebel had disappeared. Azura wasn't sure if calling her was the wisest decision. She spotted light footprints in the moist, rich soil. She took a moment to dig her fingers into the wet soil, savoring the sensation. _Free. _She carefully followed the light, vague impressions on the ground. She followed them for 15 minutes, until they ended at a small hole, about as big as a fist. Azura frowned. _I knew they had to be sly to hide from the imperials, but this?!_ She crouched down and peered into the dark hole.

"Hell-o?!"

Her call traveled down the narrow tunnel to who-knows-where. Two tiny eyes appeared. They gleamed in the dim light. She gasped quietly and backed away from the hole. A tiny rodent popped out of the hole. Its tiny little paws were held close to its body as it sat on its itty bitty haunches. It had a tiny velvet nose that twitched slightly. Suddenly, it disappeared back down the hole.

"You can be such a stupid idiot sometimes," she told herself.

Azura stood up and brushed the dirt off of herself. She observed the area around her. Suddenly, a realization hit her. _I'm lost. The tracks, I can't find them!_ Azura sank to the ground in hopeless despair. She was contemplating calling for help, when she heard a twig snap. Instinctively, she ducked for cover. She barely saw him, dressed in camouflage. He was quick. A human male dashed in between bushes and trees, silently. Azura was surprised she had heard the twig snap at all.

"Ronie, what's your position, over?"

The reply sounded staticky. It was a woman's voice.

"Copy. I'm a ways south from your position."

"We are to return to the base, over."

"Wilco, see you there."

The man crept from tree to tree and eventually worked his way past Azura. _Base? There's a rebel base here? Finally. I couldn't have worked this out better myself. I wonder what the bounty hunter's doing here… _Azura began running in the direction she saw the scout disappear. It felt so wonderful to be sprinting through the woods. Free from slavery. Azura was flooded with blissful euphoria. She allowed herself a smile. She ran up a few hills. Just as about she was contemplating to turn around, the rebel base came into view. It consisted of several camouflaged buildings. She was about to run to one, when she tripped on something. She glanced at one she had tripped on. There was a woman crouched in the grass, the same one she had seen before. In a split second, the woman was up, her gun was pointed at Azura.

"Don't fire!" Azura cried.

"Stay where you are," she ordered.

Azura froze.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"I-I'm a rebel, like you."

"What?"

"Yes, I'm Fizzy Claret."

The woman paused. Then she burst out laughing. "Fizzy claret?" She asked incredulously. "You offering me a drink?"

"No! That's my code name. I report from this cantina. I was caught by imperials."

"Oh that's convenient," she replied sarcastically. "You _used _to be a rebel, but now you're with the imperials and you want _us _to take you in and save your hide."

"Umm, yes?"

"I've got news for you: The Rebel Alliance doesn't consist of slime balls, like you, _begging _for mercy."

Azura couldn't think of anything to say.

"Get up. We're gonna interrogate you and find out who you _really _belong to."

"No, wait. I've got something to say. There's this bounty hunter here and he's been hired by the imperials."

"Oh, no," she snorted sarcastically.

The woman used the barrel of her gun the shove Azura forward.

"Please, believe me."

"You _are_ ridiculous. You think I'm going to fall for something like that?!"

"Drop your weapon," ordered a steely voice.

Both of them froze and slowly turned around. _Blast it!_ There was the bounty hunter. His armor gleamed heroically in the sunlight. _Heroically_, Azura mentally laughed at herself. He stood in a ready positioned, with a dangerous-looking gun pointed towards the woman. With a single blaster shot, the woman fell limply to the ground.

"You killed her!" Azura exclaimed, horrified.

She ran over to her and put a pressed a finger to the neck artery. Her pulse still throbbed every half second. She stared in bewilderment at the bounty hunter.

"Stun," he answered her unasked question before throwing her over his shoulder.

"LET ME GO!"

She began thrashing wildly. The bounty hunter suddenly pinned her to the ground and clasped a hand over her mouth.

"Not. Another. Word," he whispered.

He firmly pinned her to the ground for another couple seconds before tossing her over his shoulder again. His words had left her slightly shaken. She delivered a last kick to his chest. He roughly bounced her on his shoulder, leaving her slightly breathless. _Fine, _she consented. After five minutes, she began to squirm slightly.

"Stop moving," he ordered.

"I'm perfectly capable of walking!"

"That's the only thing you're capable of."

"That's not-"

"Shut up until we reach the ship."

Azura would have crossed her arms obstinately, had she not been upside down. Ten minutes later, they reached the ship. The bounty hunter practically tossed her onto the bed in the medbay, her pile of objects had toppled over.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, though he ignored it.

As soon as he left, she hopped off of the bed and ran to the door. Locked. She smiled as she whipped out- What should've been the remote control. Instead, she felt empty space.

"That stupid- ugh!"

She couldn't think of an appropriate insult which would be insulting enough. She sat against the wall and buried her hands into her face. _What now? _She rummaged in her pack for a ration cube and chewed on it quietly. Azura was just preparing to lay down, when the door slid open.

"Where is it?" He boomed, yet he wasn't shouting.

"What?" She cried alarmed.

He walked towards her, until she could see the subtle rise and fall of his chest. She need but lean forward to touch him. Azura shivered. She wasn't comfortable in such close proximity with him.

"You know what." His voice was low.

Azura eyes glimmered for a mere second. _He might possibly mean the locket… or it could be something else. _

"What?" She asked, hoping the revelation didn't appear on her face.

"I don't have time for games, girl." Apparently it had. "Now."

With a trembling hand, she withdrew the locket from her other pocket. She clenched it tightly in her fist before dropping it into his palm. He was preparing to exit when he stopped.

"You're far more trouble than you're worth." He abruptly exited.

Somehow, that one insult managed to worm its way past her defenses. It had found a slight chink in her armor. _I am his slave, _she realized as she sunk to the floor once more. _I am however valuable he deems me to be. If I am sold for one credit, then I am worth one credit. _This thought made her uncomfortable. She was no longer in charge of her self-worth, she'd never been really. She recalled how naïve she's been, savoring those moments of euphoria, when, minutes later, she was to be captured again. She sat there, her head resting on her knees. She found she couldn't summon the energy to move herself from that spot.


	5. Fatal Attraction

For the next few days she felt utterly purposeless. Nothing mattered. No one cared. There's no hope. She stayed in this state of depression for a few days. Azura lost track of the days, though she was sure it wasn't more than a week when the bounty hunter entered the med bay. He approached her, arms crossed. Azura didn't bother getting out of bed. Or even looking at him. Her luminous yellow eyes were unfocused.

"I have another assignment."

She didn't bother replying.

"I… I might need your assistance."

Azura immediately perked up. _My assistance? What could he need me for? _

"I won't help you with your schemes," she replied, slightly revived.

He chuckled softly. "I'm not scheming anything in particular."

"Well, what's the assignment for?"

"Does that mean you're in?"

"I asked you a question."

He paused slightly before replying, "It's a personal matter…"

"About?"

"Nothing in particular. Do you want to help or not?"

"I don't want the slaughter _or _capture _or _manipulation of innocent people."

"Don't worry. It doesn't involve anyone _innocent._"

Azura contemplated interrogating him further, but he didn't seem in the mood for excessive questions, he never did.

"Alright, what do you need me for?"

"It could be dangerous."

She was about to say she'd been doing dangerous things the entire time she'd been a slave, but stopped herself.

"What?"

He hesitated before beginning. "There's this formal party hosted on Naboo-"

"And you don't have a date?"

He glared at her silently until she wilted under his gaze.

"Do you want to or not?"

"I don't have much of an option."

"Yes, you do. I'm giving you one. I asked you a question."

Azura couldn't tell if he was actually mocking her or if it was in jest.

"Yes, I do."

"And at this party will be a… suspect. He has a temporary residence on Naboo. I want you to find out where this residence is _and _information on his other residences and activities, understood?"

"So… I'm going undercover?"

"Yes."

"And how do I know that you're not lying, that he's not innocent."

"You'll know. As soon as you met him."

In her mind she carefully put the pieces together.

"And how am I to find this residence? You're not suggesting I-"

"No, I am not. You are to do nothing of the sort," he growled.

"I wasn't thinking of it… And where will you be?"

"Watching from a distance. You'll have an ear piece."

"I'll need something suitable to wear."

"I'll give you some creds and you can pick out something by yourself?"

"By _myself?!_" She asked incredulously.

"You haven't forgotten your necklace, have you?"

She fingered her necklace, realizing that her previous euphoria was, indeed, ridiculous. She'd never be free until she had rid herself of that necklace.

"I remember," she muttered. "When do we start?"

"Now, the ship's about an hour away from landing on Naboo."

"One last question and I shall question you no more."

He waited in silence.

"Why are you allowing me to help?"

He remained silent as he exited in his abrupt, brusque manner. Azura sighed and waited for the ship to land.

Azura gaped at the vast ballroom before her. Rich maroon carpet covered the floor. Dazzling, crystalline chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The smooth granite walls were covered in lamps and serene tapestries. Dozens of round tables were adorned in fine silk, crystal glasses, and silver eating utensils. Magnificent arches revealed the picturesque landscape of Naboo. Majestic waterfalls tumbled down towering cliffs. The setting sun painted the city of Theed in brilliant shades or orange and pink. Diamond-like stars, hiding behind silver-lined clouds, were beginning to speckle the sky.

"How do you like Naboo?" Inquired a man behind her.

"Absolutely stunning, breathless." She imprinted the image in her memory before turning towards the voice.

"That's what I was thinking, though I wasn't looking at the scenery."

He stared into the depths of her luminescent eyes. Azura blushed and ducked her head.

"And may I ask your name?" She lifted her head.

"Only if you give yours in return."

Azura contemplated what to say. _I should probably use my actual name, since that's what I'm under on the guest list. _

"Azura."

"Ah, a pretty girl deserves such a beautiful name." He gave her a cocky grin and a flirtatious wink.

Azura began to study him. He was dressed sharply in a tuxedo. His red hair, obviously dyed, was spiked up and his blue eyes flashed when he smiled.

"Would you sit with me?"

"Well, I would, but I'm looking for someone."

"And who might this someone be?"

Azura turned to him.

"You never told me _your _name."

"Call me Shan."

She paused. "Shan?"

"Yes, Shan Horne. Why?"

"Well…

"Let me guess, I'm the man you're looking for?" He laughed cheekily. "Com'on, babe, I'm sitting over her."

He guided her to a table and gently sat her down.

"So, why are you looking for me?" His blue eyes sparkled in the twilight.

Azura found herself breathless and light headed.

"I… I heard that you're lots of… fun."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"You got that right, babe. So, let's talk about you." He leaned in forward.

"Me?" She asked.

"Who else?" He chuckled.

"Well, there's not much to know."

"Alright, let's start with your species."

Azura told him how she was a Pantoran singer at a cantina and lived on her own.

"On your own? How old are you?" He scooted closer to her.

"Twenty."

"Wow, you _are _a babe," he jested.

She put her hands on her hips.

"I beg to differ."

"Well, you're a very pretty babe, if it helps."

Azura couldn't help but giggle. She loved the ecstasy, which surged through her every time he looked at her. It made her feel… wanted. Loved even. He stood up and wiggled his fingers.

"Walk with me."

Azura couldn't help but comply. He walked out onto the balcony. Her pure white evening gown rippled in the breeze. The gown clung to her body and there was a slit that went up her leg. She wore a choker necklace of white silk, embedded with an icy jewel. Shan took her down some steps, into the gardens. There they walked contently, their fingers interlocked. Azura assured herself that she was putting him in a position where he'd have to spill more. They rounded a bend and he stopped abruptly. Shan locked his eyes with hers. He brushed a stray curl from her hair, but brought his hand back to caress her cheek. Azura felt her heart throb in an unusual way. He brought her closer. Shan ran his arms along her and pulled her to him. Azura's body grew rigid and she pulled back slightly.

"What are you doing?" He asked, still clutching her blue hand in his.

"I don't want to do this."

For the first time, as she looked at him, she felt cold fear mixed with dread course through her veins.

He chuckled. Azura didn't like the sound it made as it rumbled in his throat. "What did you mean by 'I heard you're lots of fun'? Did you mean playing catch or somethin'?"

He pulled her closer and grasped her tightly. He leaned down so that his warm breath tickled her ear.

"This is where the real fun begins."


	6. A Rebel at Heart

Author's Note: Yay! Total views= 108. Please don't hesitate to comment. I really appreciate feedback.

"No," she demanded.

She tried pulling away from him again, but he tightened his grip.

"I won't. Let me go!" She yelled.

She was about to scream when he covered her mouth with his hand.

"I don't think so," he whispered.

Azura realized that time was running out. She'd be in trouble if she didn't act soon. She managed to push his hand away.

"Wait, I have something to tell you."

He paused. "Well?"

"I-I'm an imperial spy."

"An imperial spy?"

"Yes, and if you want to be hired by the imperials after this, I suggest you let me go."

He smirked and he still held to her tightly.

"I don't think so, babe. Nice try."

"You realize the imperials don't take kindly to those who don't obey, don't you?"

"Oh, you are precious," he chuckled.

Azura began to really worry. He'd seen through it.

"And I have a message from Admiral Ratiff." She randomly picked out the name.

"Ne'er heard of him."

Azura realized that he was mostly humoring her. He found her _amusing. _

"Well, would you like to meet him?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Sure, but no tricks, babe. I'm not stupid."

"This way."

Azura pulled away from him, but he still clung to her hand with an iron grip. _This is harder than I thought. _She took a couple turns through the garden until she spotted a small waterfall, which ran along the walkway. She kept on walking, but at the last minute jumped in, breaking away from his grip. She started paddling as fast as she could go. When she heard another splash, icy fear spiked through her. _I can make it, _she assured herself. The other edge of the artificial river was only a foot away, when she felt something grab her ankle and pull her underwater. She was being dragged backwards. Shan's eyes sparkled with anger. He grabbed a fistful of her wet purple hair. She cringed. It felt like he was yanking the hair from her scalp. He tilted her head so that she was facing him.

"You thought you could trick me, eh?" His throat rumbled with a low, malicious chuckle. "Well, you still have a thing or two to learn. Let me teach you a lesson."

He plunged her underwater. At first, nothing happened. The cool, smooth water flowed past her. Then it became slightly harder and she felt her lungs strain for air. She tried swimming for the surface. She slowly released the oxygen from her mouth. She willed herself not to gulp in water and drown herself. Her head began to throb. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst. She began a desperate struggle for air, but it wouldn't come. _Is he trying to kill me? _That was one of her last coherent thoughts as the world around her became murkier. _Air, air, air. _She still thrashed around. She could tell the lack of oxygen was slowly draining her strength. Her heart pounded in her chest and her muscles became limp. Her head felt like a lead weight. The desire to try and inhale was almost too strong. _This is it. _Darkness started to taint her vision. Suddenly, he yanked her back out of the water. She breathed in deeply, swallowing some water. Her breath came in quick pants. She couldn't get enough air. Slowly, she felt life return to her body.

"Who are you working for?"

She still didn't have enough air to speak.

"WHO ARE YOU WORKING FOR?!" He shouted. He shook her, still grasping her hair.

"The-the… im… perials…" She caught quick breaths in between syllables.

Azura was beginning to feel very faint.

"Don't lie to me."

"N-not… lying…"

"Ha, liar. This is your own doing."

He dragged her to the edge and pinned her there. She hated the way his eyes gleamed, the way he smiled in anticipation.

"Step away."

_He couldn't have come earlier!?_

Shan slowly turned towards the new voice.

"Ah, excuse me. Am I taking your girl?" He replied mockingly.

The bounty hunter took a step forward.

"Nuh-uh-uh." Shan shook his head.

He whipped out a glittering dagger and held it to her throat. She could feel the cold steel pressed against her vulnerable neck.

"Let's make a trade," compensated the bounty hunter.

"What do you have in mind?" Shan's dark blue eyes glittered with interest.

"See that over there?" The bounty hunter pointed to something in the distance.

Shan turned his head. The next thing Azura heard was blaster fire. Then Shan fell limply on top of her. Smoke was coming from a blaster burn in his head. She smelled something like cooked meat. She shivered and tried pushing the body off of her, trying not to regurgitate. The bounty hunter strode to her side and flung the corpse off effortlessly.

"You could have come earlier," she snapped as he pulled her upright.

She saw his body stiffen and his gaze slightly lowered.

"Sorry."

Azura couldn't think of anything witty comebacks. He picked Azura up bridal-style. She was too stunned to protest.

"It doesn't sound like you found much out about him."

This time Azura lowered her gaze.

"We still need to find out about him, who hired him, and if he's involved."

Azura was too tired to ask what he was involved in. The bounty hunter did something with his glove. Suddenly, Azura heard something like loud wind and they began to levitate. She looked down. Sparks and flames came from what appeared to be a jetpack, she hadn't noticed it before. He flew over the garden and over buildings. She threw her hands around his neck and held on for her life. He landed on the outside window sill of a posh apartment.

"Where's this?" She asked.

"His residence here. I did some research while you were… occupied."

A red laser appeared from his wrist as he cut an opening in the glass. A large circle of glass fell away. He caught it just before it crashed to the floor and set it aside. He stepped into the apartment and Azura followed timidly. They stepped into a luxurious living room. A glass table was in the middle, surrounded by plush sofas. The floor was pristine marble and the walls were granite. The bounty hunter began rummaging through a drawer in the bedroom adjoining the living room. Azura ran after him. He pulled out a data pad and began searching information.

"Blast it," he muttered.

"What?"

"There's nothing here that matches, he wasn't involved."

"Now what?"

"We return to the ship and leave before the authorities get here."

He carried her again and flew through the window. Azura still didn't feel comfortable with him so near, though she did owe him her life. She preferred to watch the passing scenery. They landed at the ship without delay. He set her down in the medbay.

"Wait," she called softly.

He stopped and turned around.

"I-I'm sorry I got… distracted. Will I be able to, umm, do this again?"

"Never, not as long as you live. I misjudged you. You're resourceful, but I didn't realize how naïve you are."

"But I didn't mean to-"

"But you did. And that's all that matters," he replied icily. He left without another word.

She inhaled sharply. He was right, in a way. She recalled her near fatal mistake. At least, she hoped it would have been fatal. She wouldn't want to have the shame of living after something like that. She closed her eyes. Tears burned behind her eyelids. Some hot tears managed to slip out, rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto her dress. Azura sighed and laid down in her bed, wandering what she would do with the rest of her life. She had once again become purposeless. _I'm still a rebel member, aren't I? And he works for the imperials. What if I found a way to report his activities to the rebels?! _Encouraged by her idea, but exhausted by the day's events, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	7. Waiting

Author's Note: Thank you for your review, Jedi Master Novi Kenobi. I hope you enjoy this chapter I appreciate any and all feedback, even if it's just 'good job!' Don't hesitate to review my story. Thanks!

Azura finished coding the message before sending it. She nervously threw a glance behind her shoulder. _He could be back any second. _She turned back to her work, careful to erase anything that could hint at what she'd been doing. She wasn't quite sure how much time had passed, but she had started reporting on him three missions ago, roughly two months. She had carefully informed the rebel alliance of his every move. Once she had made contact with them, they taught how to code, decode, and hack information to and from them. Of course, it was tedious work. She was nearly caught last time she tried sending her information, but it was the ecstatic feeling of adrenaline that made her go back and report on him once more. It was the only thing between her and utter boredom. Azura completed her job and left, using the lift.

She arrived back at the medbay and removed her gloves before flopping onto the bed. Last she heard, the rebel alliance was growing. Fast. They received new recruits frequently now. Azura chewed on a ration bar as she contemplated her next move. Azura spent the next few hours re-doing her hair, making sculptures out of ration cubes, and pondering the meaning of life.

Finally, she heard the entrance to the ship open. Metallic footsteps echoed through the hallway. Soon, they were replaced by the mechanical noise of the lift. Azura exhaled. Another mission, another message. She wondered what would happen if she was caught. Suddenly, the door slid open. She jumped.

"I'm leaving for an assignment in a few hours. It won't take more than two days."

He whirled around and exited. _Another assignment? _Azura waited a few hours. She felt when they had left light speed. She waited until he had left the ship and she was alone. Azura stood up and ran out of the door. She entered the cockpit and used the computer to search for what assignment he was doing.

Greetings bounty hunter A'rexon,

Your last mission was done well, but the rebel scum are persistent and evasive. You are to sabotage a satellite of theirs and take the information regarding previous messages. It should be stored on a data chip. We have word that this satellite is orbiting the planet of Corellia. Give the data chip to use and we will reward you with 100,000 imperial credits.

-Grand Admiral Takel

_Blast it. The imperials could find out everything with that satellite. What should I do? _Azura contacted a Corellian rebel base.

"Fizzy Claret, this is C-base. What's your status, over?"

"Copy, C-base. I've received new information. Bounty hunter A'rexon has been hired by grand admiral Takel destroy the Corellian satellite and steal the information. Over."

"Roger that, Fizzy Claret. I will relay the message and contact you at 0700."

Azura stopped communication and took the proper precautions to insure no one else would hear of her message. She waited in anticipation. She received a transmission at 0700 sharp.

"The council has decided to take the bounty hunter, over."

"What? What do they mean by _take the bounty hunter_?!"

"They've decided to bring him to the rebel base for interrogation. That satellite is imperative to the Rebel Alliance's victory. Over."

"Interrogation… So, they're going to capture him?"

"Affirm, over."

"When?"

"Send me your coords. You are to report when the bounty hunter arrives. A group of rebels will be there momentarily, over."

"He won't be easy to take down."

"The council is well aware of this. Please send you coords, over."

She sighed. "Wilco. Fizzy Claret out."

Azura looked up the ship's coords and sent the coords to the rebel base on Corellia. She kept a comlink with her as a signal for when the bounty hunter arrived. Azura left to the medbay and waited. She couldn't stand waiting, really. Whenever she waited, she could feel seconds of her life being drained, never to be used again. _Waiting time = Wasted time. _She froze when she heard the rumble of the entrance opening and closing. On impulse, she pressed the button on the comlink. _More waiting, _she groaned inwardly. Azura sat on the bed and tapped her foot impatiently. That wasn't enough. She began drumming her fingers. Her muscles tensed when the door slid open. _What's he doing here? _She couldn't read anything past his metal helmet.

"What. Did. You. Do."

Azura hated when he said things in that tone. It made chills run up her spine.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently.

"You little _witch._" She had never heard him say something so… venomously.

She began to get nervous. _He can't know. He doesn't know, _she assured herself. _I always wipe… the data. _Her face turned a shade paler. _I forgot, I didn't wipe the last message. BLAST IT, BLAST IT, BLAST IT! _

"You know what I'm talking about, don't you?" His voice was low and deadly.

"I-"

"How is it possible that a slave can be so much trouble?" He continued.

Suddenly, he whipped out his gun and held it to her head. She froze. She eyed the gun barrel. It was a long and ended in a dark chasm. Azura shivered. She saw his hand. It was trembling. His helmet appeared stoic, as always. She closed her eyes, the picture of the barrel in her mind. She'd fought well. She'd improved the future. Azura could feel her eyes fill with tears, but she refused to release them. She wouldn't spend her last moment crying.

"Just do it," she whispered, barely audible.

The bounty hunter remained silent. She heard him exhale and inhale sharply. She couldn't stand waiting.


	8. Negotiations

Author's Note: Thank you TheReapa for favoriting and following my story. AND for putting me on your author alert list. I appreciate it Thank you for reading my story.

A quick note to everyone else: More reviews=More stories more quickly

The ship started to tremble beneath her feet, as if it was as scared as she was. She heard commotion from outside the medbay and couldn't resist the urge to open her eyes. The bounty hunter was frozen, rooted to the spot. He still pointed the gun at her. His head was cocked, like he was listening. The door abruptly slid open and two dozen rebel soldiers poured into the room.

"Drop your weapon!" Demanded the leader of the group.

The bounty hunter turned to face them. _Blast it. I don't have much time left. I wanted to do so much more. If only I had-_ He dropped the weapon. He turned around slowly, his hands on his head. Azura stood there, stunned. A rebel cautiously approached him and clicked metal restrainers in place around his wrists. They carefully searched him for weapons, removing a couple dozen until they were satisfied. One of the rebels offered her something to drink. She readily accepted. He escorted Azura into the rebel ship. He introduced himself as 'Rex.'

When the ship had landed, Rex showed her to some bunks. A woman there greeted her. For the first time in what felt like forever, she ate food with flavor. She savored the zest and tang, which she had never noticed before. It seemed her taste had been amplified. She returned to the room and collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to change, though there was available clothing.

She bolted upright in bed. _Something's wrong. _She observed her surroundings. Several clean bunks. Utility lighting. Plain Dura-steel flooring. She sat up and groggily rubbed her eyes. _This isn't home. _Her black boots were placed by her bunk. She slipped them on and stood up to walk around. There was a long hallway with doors on each side. A few people, mostly humans, ambled along in orange jump suits, camo, and civilian clothing. She followed the wall, running her hand along its smooth surface as she went. In a daze, she observed a Bothan in an orange jumpsuit push past her.

"Fizzy Claret!"

As Azura turned, she was flooded with all her previous memories. She sighed. _I was having the most blissful dream of… home. _The word resounded within her mind.

"I was wondering if you'd like to introduce yourself to some of the alliance leaders."

Azura turned her attention to the voice. It belonged to a young woman. She had molten blue eyes and silky brunette hair. She wore a white t-shirt with a camo jacket and jeans. Azura liked her immediately. She vaguely recalled meeting her the other night.

"Oh, yes. I suppose."

Azura was still feeling slightly drowsy.

The woman giggled. "Let's freshen you up a bit."

She turned Azura around and led her back to the room. She took out a brush from underneath one of her bunks and began combing her purple locks.

"You have beautiful hair," she commented.

"Thanks," muttered Azura.

"If you don't mind me asking, what species are you?"

"Pantoran."

"It sounds lovely, though I've never heard of it before. Where are you from?"

"Pantora."

"Oh. Well I guess it's kind of self-explanatory. Where is it?"

"It's in the outer rim. The Sujimis sector. Pantora's a moon."

"Oh, is it nice there?" She inquired.

"Mmm, I guess. The only reason I'd go there is the people. It's covered in marshes and kind of squishy."

She laughed. "Yeah, I don't care much for marshes either."

"I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Oh, it's fine. I'm Evaria, but no one calls me that. Eva's much shorter. You can call me Eva, if you like. And I didn't catch your name."

"Azura."

"Beautiful, it fits you. Alright, I'm done."

Eva had wound her hair in a neat braid bun.

"Thank you. It looks great."

"Thanks, I used to practice on my little sisters. Come on, we don't want to keep them waiting."

Eva grabbed her arm and steered her through the corridors. At last, she stopped in front of a door and entered a code into the data pad. Azura turned away politely.

"It's okay. You're one of us. You should know these codes anyway."

Azura turned back around and watched her type in the code '1776.' The door slid open. Azura recalled how this door was identical to the one in the medbay and began wondering where the bounty hunter was. There was a half circle of seats in the otherwise bare room. Only one man sat there. He looked young and strong, but his long gray hair gave his age away. He had an orderly gray mustache and small goatee.

"Azura, let me introduce you to Garm Bel Iblis, one of our leaders."

Azura bowed at the waist.

"It's an honor."

"Ah, I believe we shall get along quite well." He smiled and his brown eyes twinkled.

Azura found herself liking him as well.

"Now, you're new and we don't expect you to pick up everything immediately. Evaria will show you everything and your schedule. Nice to meet you, Ms. Azura."

Azura nodded politely. Eva led her out of the room. She was shown the cafeteria, escape routes, bunks, meeting area, refreshers, medbay, storage areas, workout room, docking bay, and prison cells. She handed her a schedule, which read:

0500 Get up

0515 Breakfast

0545 Warm-ups

0600 Work-outs

0700 Shower

0730 Coaching

0900 Duty #1

1000 Duty #2

1200 Lunch

1300 Guard Duty #1

1400 Duty #3

1500 Guard Duty #2

1600 Free Time

1800 Dinner

1900 Bed Time

2000 Lights-out

"Some schedule," Azura muttered.

"Yeah, you get used to it. For your first duty, you feed the prisoners. For second duty, you clean the floors in the west wing. For your third duty, you take care of the ships in the docking bay. For the first guard duty, you go to the North West tower. For the second guard duty, you're positioned in the south tower."

"Wait, what do you mean guard duty?"

"You just watch a security camera and answer incoming transmissions. If you see something suspicious, you press the alarm button. We have the leaders of each station there. They'll show you what to do." She glanced at her chronometer. "It's about 1000, I'll take you to the west wing."

She rolled her shoulders back and forth. Then she rolled her head one way, then the other. Eva insisted warm-ups were important, though Azura wasn't so sure. It had been a day since she'd arrives. It was only when she started training with the others that she realized how weak she was. Eva, on the other hand, was one of the strongest females. She was deadly in hand-to-hand combat.

"Come on, Azura, straight as a board."

"I can't!" She moaned.

_How hard is it to push yourself up and down?! _She collapsed to the floor in frustration.

"Hey, that was great! I couldn't do push-ups with the right posture for a while either. You'll get the hand of it once you build up your core," Eva assured her.

"Easy for you to say," Azura muttered.

Eva laughed. "You should've seen me when I was a kid… I was _SO _mad that I couldn't do exercises right. I also wasn't a natural at any sports."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Eva laughed. "Trust me, you'll get the hang of it. This'll help you big time in the long run… literally."

Azura laughed and shook her head. "I'm not quite so confident."

Eva nudged her. "You're doing great. Just trust me." She smiled.

Azura sighed and went on her belly. No matter how she tried, she couldn't make her back straight.

"That's fine for now. It's better than the _girl _push-ups." Eva gestured to a couple of the other females in slight disgust.

They were on their knees, pushing themselves up and down.

"You don't like them?"

"No. They're half way push-ups. You should do something to the max or not do it at all."

Azura looked at her. "You really believe that?"

Eva nodded slightly. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist, but I'm also ambitious. I'm not saying to do it perfect or not at all, just give it maximum effort."

Azura nodded and finished her push-ups. Then they began practicing hand-to-hand combat techniques. They learned a couple of chokes and basic moves. As Azura was walking to the showers, Eva joined her.

"So," she whispered. "Did you hear about the bounty hunter?"

"What about him?" Azura's curiosity was piqued.

"Well, it turns out his mom was a Corellian rebel. Bel Iblis did a DNA analysis."

Azura stopped suddenly. "Are you _sure_?"

She shrugged. "It's what I heard. Of course, that's hearsay."

Azura snickered. "This isn't a court room."

Eva nudged her. "I know! I'm just saying…"

"So, his mom was a rebel?"

"Yep. Her name was Kalizza Seren."

"His father?"

"No records. His mother disappeared several years ago."

"Interesting…"

They arrived at the showers. Each shower had three walls of cinderblocks and a curtain. Azura turned on a shower, letting it warm up.

"You know, the bounty hunter hasn't eaten since he got here." Eva piped up.

"Really?"

"Yep. You feed the prisoners for your first duty, AKA chore, don't you?"

"Yeah…"

"Maybe you could get him to eat something."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that."

"Just try."

"Very well, now let me shower in peace!"

"Fine!" Eva replied indignantly, before laughing.

Half an hour later, Azura was at coaching. The first thing Azura noticed about the coach was his pure blue eyes, then his soft brown hair, and finally his shy smile. He was very friendly and was called 'Durxan.' He gave them a short lecture on battle tactics. They broke up into groups, each with flashcards to memorize the battle tactics. He gave special attention to Azura, since she was new.

"Which is this?" He held up a flash card with dots, representing soldiers, in a triangle.

"The… triangle."

"Wedge," he laughed.

"Well, I'm trying."

"You're doing well. I'm surprised you've caught on so quickly, this being your first time."

Azura smiled. Durxan whipped out the next card.

"The umm… wave attack?"

"Yes! Good job, Azura."

Before the Azura left for her first chore, he took her aside.

"Yes, Coach Durxan?"

"Just Durxan's fine." He gave her a smile.

"Oh, alright. Did you need something?"

"I was just wondering if you could save a seat for me during lunch. We can review some battle tactics, if you'd like."

Azura smiled. "Sure. See you later."

"See you then!"

_Well he's very… enthusiastic. _Azura glanced at her Chronometer and ran to the prison ward. She gave a ration cube to each prisoner. There weren't very many prisoners, only a dozen or so, and the last one was the bounty hunter. She shivered as she approached his cell. Something about him gave her the chills. She watched him through the plasma shield. His arms were crossed and he was sitting down, leaning against the wall. His helmet was still on. Long chains attached his arms to the wall. _He probably hates my guts. _Azura hesitantly lowered the shield. She set down the ration cube.

"Lovely accommodations you have here," she commented nonchalantly.

_If you're going to say something, the LEAST you could do is say something that's not stupid… _She mentally kicked herself.

"Look, I'll make a deal with you."

He tilted his gaze up slightly. _What deal?!_

"If you eat the ration cube, then I'll tell you about your mother."

"You don't think _I_ know about _my_ mother?"

"Well, if you did, why would you work for the imperials?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you knew she, Kalizza Seren, was a Corellian rebel, right?"

He seemed stunned for a moment until his body language returned to its stoic façade.

"Yes…"

"Liar," she coughed.

He stood up suddenly. He walked towards her as far as he could, making the chains rattle.

"Liar?! You call _me _a liar? All that time I had _you _in my ship… you were spying on me, which eventually led to this." He shook his head. "I should've shot you when I had the opportunity," he muttered.

Seeing that her presence was no longer wanted, Azura turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Azura froze and turned around.

"Where is she now?" He asked earnestly.

"They don't know, she disappeared a couple years ago."

He paused. "How many?"

"Well, I don't know! But I'll make a deal with you. I'll find out exactly what you need _if _you eat your cubes. Deal?"

"I'll eat my cube tomorrow _if _you give me the information I want tomorrow, deal?"

"Fine," she huffed.

It had been about a week since. Azura had discovered Kalizza Seren had disappeared ten years ago, supposedly found by the imperials. Azura noticed a gradual change in the bounty hunter after this discovery. He _had _been eating the cubes, but never in front of her. He'd had her deliver several messages to Bel Iblis, asking to join the rebel alliance. Bel Iblis, wary of the bounty hunter, refused to meet him.

Azura had just finished her coaching session. Everything appeared normal, until she came to the bounty hunter's cell. His arm was at an awkward angle and he was lying face up. She watched his chest carefully. He wasn't breathing. She quickly turned the plasma shield off and ran into the cell. She was about to put her finger on the neck artery, when the 'corpse' suddenly sprung to life. He grabbed her in a tight choke hold.

"What… are… you doing?" She gasped for breath in between words.

"Arranging a meeting with Bel Iblis," he whispered.

"No one else is here, but me. He's not even going to find out this happened."

"Oh, he will. If we wait long enough."

Azura wriggled in his grip. His hold on her became tighter. Her heart began beating faster.

"Don't try anything," he whispered.

They waited for one hour, then two. She shifted uncomfortably.

"No one's noticed!" She told him.

"They've noticed. They're just waiting," he replied nonchalantly.

"For what?"

"The same reason I am. To get the other to crack first."

"You're crazy."

He chuckled. "Let's speed things up."

His arms constricted around her neck until dots appeared in her vision. The world began to spin as her thought became murky and her body became numb.

"STOP!" Ordered a voice.

Slowly, the dots disappeared. She felt weak and breathless. Azura slouched against the bounty hunter's chest.

"Put her down!"

"Not until I'm promised a meeting with Bel Iblis."

"Put her down or I'll shoot!"

Azura identified the voice as that of a rebel soldier. In respond, the bounty hunter held her up as a living shield, effectively protecting him.

"Put her down!"

"Or what?" He sneered.

The rebel didn't respond.

"Put your weapon down." The bounty hunter shot back.

He began squeezing her neck.

"I said put the weapon down!" He boomed.

The gun fell to the floor with a 'clank.'

"Now, bring Bel Iblis here and I _might _let her go," he ordered.

The rebel scampered away. Azura tried to squirm out of his grip, but was unable. She could feel him inhale and exhale. She didn't like the way she was pressed to him. She could feel his cold armor and his muscular frame behind her. A few rebel soldiers returned, their guns aimed at the bounty hunter. In the midst of the rebels was Bel Iblis. He held his hands behind his back and looked rather calm, despite the situation.

"I hear you want to have a talk with me," Bel Iblis said.

"Yes. Alone, save her." He nodded to Azura. "And tell your men to stand down."

"Very well." He nodded to the rebels and they lowered their weapons.

Bel Iblis approached the cell.

"What do you want?"

"You know what I want. To be a rebel."

"Why?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"To avenge Kalizza Seren."

"I understand, but how, exactly, are we to trust _you_?"

He shrugged. "Give me a test."

"You've been hired by the imperials many times."

"That was before I knew what they did!" He hissed.

"You knew what they did. They killed and captured innocent people. You just didn't know about your mother."

"Look, as a bounty hunter you take what jobs you can get."

"And as a rebel what would you do?"

"I'd be a spy, work undercover as a bounty hunter and report on the imperials. Like she was doing."

She could feel the bounty hunter's gaze.

He shook his head. "I don't think so."

The bounty hunter's grip became tighter.

"Why not?"

"The difference between you and her is drastic. She's served us loyally for a long time. You, on the other hand are our prisoner."

"And she's mine." She could feel his arm constricting around her throat.

"Well, then kill her."

Azura froze. _What?!_ The bounty hunter cocked his head.

"You're bluffing."

"Try me." He smiled smugly.

_No, he wouldn't!_

"You see," he continued. "The Rebel Alliance has already made use of her. What else can she do for us, really?"

His expression was calm and patient. Azura couldn't stand it. She could feel the bounty hunter experimentally tighten his grip. Her muscles tensed. _This isn't it. This can't be the way that I die!_

"She's very resourceful," replied the bounty hunter.

"Resourceful?!" He snorted. "I ask what else we can use her for and you say that's she's _resourceful_!"

He paused for a few seconds. "Bel Iblis, did you know Kalizza Seren?"

"Oh, yes. I knew her very well," he replied, a bit caught off guard.

"Was she honorable? Did she serve the rebel alliance well?"

"Of course."

"And she was slaughtered in the line of duty?"

"Quite possibly."

"What do you think she'd advise you to do right now?"

Bel Iblis' eyes narrowed. "Ha, is _that _what you're trying to do?"

His question was met by silence.

"Very well. You're clever, I'll grant you that. You will go on a mission for us. If your loyalty is ever in question, you will regret it. Understood?"

He nodded.

"Now, release the girl."

"I thought she was useless."

His eyes narrowed once more.

"You give me your word?"

"Yes, on my honor, you are allowed to be a rebel spy. We shall release you once we determine you're trust worthy."

"And how will that be determined?"

"Simply by a series of tests here. Agreed?"

"Yes."

The bounty hunter suddenly released her. She nearly collapsed to the floor. She didn't realize how cold it was until she wasn't next to him. She blushed at the thought.

"So, Ms. Azura, are you still in service to the Rebel alliance?"

She saluted.

"Yes, Commander Bel Iblis." She rolled the funny word on her tongue.

Later that day, she collapsed onto her bunk. _I just want to curl up and never wake up again… _Her comlink started beeping.

"Ms. Azura, Bel Iblis requests you at his office _immediately._"


	9. A Mission, A Dissappearance

Author's Note: You're welcome, TheReapa. And thank _you _for your review! I appreciate the feedback.

Her yellow eyes glimmered dimly in the light. She pulled up another blueprint on her data pad. She observed the layout, looking at all three stories of the building.The image shimmered away as the turned off the data pad. Azura smoothed away invisible wrinkles on her sparkling pale turquoise dress. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear before walking out of the storage closet and into the night club. The music was loud. It made her ears throb with each beat. She was always surprised to see the ever changing Coruscant fashions. The colors were blindingly bright, clashing in unusual patterns. The dresses themselves were tight and revealed too much cleavage.

Azura had decided to wear her hair in a bun. She had cut it a while ago. It was much more practical short. Her silver flats were comfortable and ideal for running. Her dress was long enough to be modest, but short enough to make quick get-aways. Finally, she wore a choker collar with a glass stone. Long necklaces could get ensnared. She searched the crowd for Eva. _Blast it. _Eva had beaten her to him. A lean Rodian casually leaned against the bar, a drink in one hand. Eva was chatting amiably with him. Her emerald green dress had strips of cloth, which crossed over her shoulders. She had her hair up in a playful side bun. She began to approach the pair, when she nearly tripped over a man. The man staggered past her, smelling heavily of alcohol. Azura wrinkled her nose and walked past him.

"And then I said 'Gimme back my drink!'" He began to laugh, so Eva followed in laughter.

She had the situation pretty well handled as it was, so Azura hung around in the background, in case she needed back-up. Azura began to rub her temples, trying to ward off the inevitable headache. She couldn't even make out what instruments were being used in this song. Azura watched as some beings jumped, others twirled, and some were swaying, literally tipsy. Azura still listened to their conversation.

"And you'll never guess who it was."

"Who?!" asked Eva, gushing with enthusiasm.

"The imperial moff himself. And I was all like 'I didn't do nothing!' Then he told me that I was in the clear, but they needed an exceptional smuggler to do some dirty work for them. So I-"

"Hey." A man staggered up to me. "Need something to drink. If you want-"

Vexed that he distracted her, Azura cut him off, "I'm fine thanks."

He ambled away to some other female. Azura tuned back into their conversation.

"No way! And where was it?" Asked Eva.

"Mmm... Talus. It's kind of nice there. I was thinking of building a mansion once I become a celebrity, but I guess I should wait 'til the area's purged of rebels."

"And they wanted you to pinpoint the bases location?! Wow, sounds like a big job."

"It was. I-"

Suddenly, a hush fell over the room. The wild music slowly came to a pause and everyone stood there. Azura turned around in bewilderment. The infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett ambled into the club. One man, too drunk to care, was prancing on a table. With a 'thud', he fell off of the table in his drunken stupor. Fett stared at him. He was unreadable past his helmet. _Stupid Mandalorian helmets. _The man whimpered and backed away. The crowd parted easily. _Oh, no… He couldn't have found us. No, he's looking for someone else. _Fett walked towards her. She froze. _He doesn't know who I am. He can't! _He was so near her, she could've touched him. Then he turned towards the Rodian. He grabbed his arm.

"Please, I didn't do nothin'."

He proceeded to drag him out the night club. Everyone stared until they had left. Then the party resumed like nothing had happened. Azura stared at Eva, both shared the same thought. _This is going to make our job a lot harder. _They ran out together. The smoggy, cluttered streets were void of life. He was gone.

"Blast it!" Azura seethed.

Eva bit her lip.

"Now what?" Azura asked.

Eva was the veteran in rebel spying.

"He couldn't have gone far. He doesn't know we're after him. He wouldn't have used his jetpack; fuel's expensive. I go right, you go left. Don't engage. Keep your comlink on. She sprinted down an alley and Azura sprinted down the opposite one. It looked like a dead end, until a turn appeared around the corner. She veered sharply to the left and ran into the bustling streets of Coruscant. Bridges filled gaps in between walkways and speeder flew in between. A colossal mass of beings squirmed around each other. Street lights glared at her from overhead. A siren wailed in the distance. Her eyes skimmed the crowds. Nothing. _Blast. _She knew wandering further wasn't worth the risk of getting separated from Eva. She turned back, her feet thudding against the filthy pavement. She followed the alley Eva had disappeared down. At the end of the alley was a ladder. Azura scaled the rusty ladder. No one else was there.

"Eva, come in."

Static.

"Eva?!" She cried frantically.

The reply was static again, as if it was mocking her. She was tempted to smash the comlink underneath her shoe, but thought better of it. Azura ran around the roof top. She jumped onto another building. Then another. Each jump brought her deeper into the complex alleys and enigma of buildings, which made up Coruscant. She began wringing her hands as she jumped onto another random building. Finally, she sat down. _Where is she?! _She tucked her head in between her knees and rocked back and forth. _No, no, no, no. One of my first missions and I FAIL her. What is she's gone? What could've happened to her?_

"It's all my fault," she squeaked.

"Looking for someone?"

Her head whipped up. There was Boba Fett. In full armor. It seemed almost too plain for a legend such as him. He was holding a gun… to Eva's head. Her body was totally limp.

"What did you do to her?" Azura cried. She was on her feet in a second.

She was about to leap towards her, when she noticed him slowly squeezing the trigger.

"NO!" She screamed.

"Then I suggest you do as you told and shut your mouth."

She clamped it shut.

"Who are you working for?"

"You just said to keep my mouth shut."

"While it's open, you might as well answer my question." His voice was icy. He started applying more pressure to the trigger before adding, "I'm not in the mood for games."

"We work for a private company."

"What company?"

Azura swallowed. "Baylor."

He paused. "I've never heard of it."

"Exactly."

He considered this for a moment. "And why were you following me?"

"We were hired to bring him to our client."

"Why?"

"Private information. He didn't specify."

He paused again. "So, you were trying to steal my bounty."

"Actually, he's _our _bounty."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're making this up." He looked at her directly. "And, I don't know better."

"No, wait. She's very valuable." Azura clamped her hand on her mouth.

"Valuable?"

"To me, I mean. There's no bounty on her head," she lied.

Azura heard him make a noise. After a moment, she realized her was chuckling.

"You're quick on your feet," he commented. "Don't get in my way again." He ordered sternly.

Azura nodded numbly as he threw Eva towards her. Azura tripped and fell underneath Eva's weight.

"Sorry," she muttered.

Azura quickly checked her pulse. It was steady and strong. With a sigh of relief, she looked up. He was gone. Azura wondered how mad Eva would be once she woke up. This mission was important.

"HE WHAT?!"

"Threw you at me and said not to get in his way… and that I was quick," she added.

Eva had her hands in her heads, rubbing her temples. She seemed slightly frustrated.

"I can't believe this happened," she seethed.

"Well, surely everyone fails missions from time to time."

"Not me! I've had a clean slate for this _whole _time and then I mess it up." Eva threw her pillow across the room and buried herself within her blankets.

Azura sighed and left to give her some much needed space.

Azura wandered around the piece of scrap metal they used as a ship. She yawned and groggily shuffled to the kitchen. To her surprise, there was Eva. She stared into space, a warm mug of fragrant tea cradled in her hands. She was still in shorts and a t-shirt, her make-shift pajamas. Just as Azura worked up the courage to say something, Eva spoke.

"He's gone."

"Who?"

"The bounty hunter."


	10. Flirtatious

Azura tensed. "Which bounty hunter?"

Eva, not bothering to look at her, replied, "You know which one."

"Alright, so what's the plan? What are we going to do?"

Eva shot her a look. "_We_ aren't going to do anything-"

"What? But-"

"_I _will do something."

"Wait, you're not letting me go on the mission?"

Eva sighed. "Azura, sometime you can be a bit… impulsive."

"I am not!"

Eva shook her head. "I'm going and you should stay on the ship."

"No! That's not fair."

"Life's not fair, sweetie."

She bristled at the term of endearment.

"How did he disappear?" She asked gingerly.

"I was contacted half an hour ago. He was on a mission in Zygerria. Last we heard, he made contact with the queen."

"The queen? What's he doing there?"

"Just snooping around. They're with the Imperials."

"I guess he's been compromised then?"

"Yeah, that's what I think." Eva locked eyes with Azura. Her bright blue eyes glittered in the light. Some many emotions could be communicate through those eyes. "Look, Azura, I know you want to go… But I've got legitimate reasons to keep you here. Right now, I'm your superior and you are to obey my orders, understood?"

"Yes, ma'm," she muttered.

Eva gave her a small smile. "Why don't you join me?"

Azura brewed herself some hot tea and took her place beside Eva. Azura refused to make eye contact with her. Instead, she watched the brown colors swirl around in her mug, tainting the water around the tea leaves. A tiny ribbon of steam rose up from the warm mug. She drank slowly, savoring the comforting warmth in her stomach. The vacuum of space seemed colder than usual.

"Azura," Eva sighed. "I really don't want to lose you. Ever since… my planet was invaded, I decided I'd never lose anyone close to me again. I _can't _lose you." Her eyes dimmed when she mentioned the invasion. She didn't talk about it much.

Azura met her gaze. "I know, but I don't want to lose you either."

"You won't. This is just something I want to do alone."

Azura nodded, but she had already made up her mind. She helped Eva pack, making sure her weapons were properly concealed. The ship shuddered as it landed. Eva was preparing to leave, but suddenly whirled around and embraced Azura. Slowly, Azura returned the gesture.

"You're the closest I've had to a sister in a _long _time. Be safe," Azura whispered.

"So are you. Don't worry. I'll be back with that excuse for a bounty hunter in no time."

Azura chuckled. She waved until the door to the landing bay shut. As soon as she left, Azura ran into the cockpit and watched the ship's cameras until Eva was out of sight. She checked the entrance. Locked. Azura smiled to herself. _Too easy. _Buttons clicked and clacked as her fingers danced over them with ease. The entrance unlocked. Azura ran into her room, donning a disguise. She wore slave attire underneath her heavy hood. _She's not doing this alone, _Azura thought determinedly. The outfit was a shimmering pale lavender. She added a gauzy skirt for 'modesty' and a gun underneath her skirt for safety. She quickly braided her hair and pulled her cloak tighter. Azura reasoned it's be easier to pass as a slave rather than a slave owner. Though she didn't want to be mistaken for a slave, it was better than them realizing she was a rebel. She drew the cloak tighter still as she opened the entrance. She shielded her eyes from the blazing sun. Apparently, they were parked in an outdoor landing bay. She squinted her eyes, effectively protecting them from the dry dust that swirled in the air. She nonchalantly strolled into the city, fringed with a tall blue wall. Rich diamond patterns adorned the azure walls. The Zygerrians on top eyed her warily, but they didn't stop her. _This IS impressive, _she admitted. She was greeted by a small market place. People quarreled over merchandise, ranging from succulent fruit to, of course, slaves. Beggars squabbled over scraps. The air was hazy with dust. The wealthy wore silk and linen robes, adorned with glittering jewels, while the poor, including the slaves, wore rags. A few of the females wore sparkly, immodest outfits. Azura's eyes watered as smoke billowed from a grill behind a food stand with odd objects, supposedly food, dangling from overhead. A few black orbs, with one glaring red eyes, floated around the marketplace. She glanced at a pretty blue twi'lek being bartered off. Her shoulders drooped and her expression was that of utter misery. She was dressed in an understated black outfit, revealing too much midriff and cleavage. _I was in a similar position a while ago… _Azura shivered. She was glad she hadn't been used for anything like the Twi'lek had been through. She pitied her, but she had a mission. Azura glanced at her one last time before observing the hazy horizon. A palace was planted in the middle of the vast city. Tall blue towers, decorated with accents of gold, rose high above any other structure. _Step One: Infiltrate Base. _She drew in a breath to steady herself. Azura shuffled through the streets, willing herself to be invisible. A Zygerrian male bumped into her.

"Watch where you're going." He scrutinized her.

Azura nodded mutely and attempted passing. He stepped in front of her path.

"Ah, wait. Not so fast. Remove your hood."

"I am under no obligation to listen to _you,_" she snapped.

He ripped the cloak off.

"Ah, a runaway slave. Where's your master?" he purred.

_Blast it. I KNEW this was a bad idea. _Icy fear snaked through her core.

"I am on an errand for him."

He smiled smugly, revealing his pristine canines. "Well, I hope he will not mind a… delay."

He placed a hand on her hip. She hissed as she drew back, like she'd been burned.

"Actually-"

"No, he won't. For I am the queen's commander. What I say is law."

He made another attempt to grab for her, but she ducked and rolled past him.

"Stop that filthy, little slut!" he growled.

Azura turned sharply and ran into an alley. She zig-zagged, as she had been taught to by Eva, until she was sure she'd lost them. She stopped and bent over, hands on her knees, trying to catch a breath of fresh air. The dry dust quickly parched her mouth. She ignored the urge and made a bee-line for the palace. The structure towered high above her. She craned her neck back to gaze at its peak. The entrance consisted of large, golden double doors, carefully guarded by warriors. _Infiltrate base, easier said than done. _She sighed as she observed her options. No doubt, breaking into a palace wouldn't be easy. She casually strolled around the perimeter. There _was_ a back entrance, but that was also guarded. _Blast it, blast it, blast it. _She had an idea.

Azura sashayed up to one of the guards, her hips swaying elegantly. She put on her cutest flirtatious face.

"I just had to see you for myself. I heard Zygerrian guards are the…" _Cutest? Strongest? Buffest? _She sidled up to the guard. "Well, let's just say words don't do them justice."

She splayed her palm on his chest and winked. He smirked back, like the cat that got its cream.

"So, too busy to show me around?" She asked, smooth as oil, sweet as honey.

"Ehm, Atair, work double duty for a while, will ya?"

"No! You've snuck off with enough girls in the past week."

"Oh, if ya wanna play it like that. You don't recall what _you _did yesterday?"

"Fine," the other guard seethed.

The guard Azura had managed to charm boldly encircled a hand around her waist. Azura grit her teeth and plastered a semi-pleasant smile to her face. She would have liked nothing more than to pummel him into the ground. _See? Who says I'm impulsive? _The guard led her down a hallway, to the servants' quarters.

"Wow, this is impressive. Takes a real man to guard something like this. So, where is the queen's throne room?" She batted her eyebrows. _Sooooo gullible. _

"Down that way, but we're taking a detour." He smiled knowingly at her.

He opened the door to a small room. He closed and locked the door once she had entered. He faced her. The way his eyes glinted made her sick to her stomach. The way his canines flashed in a smile made her skin crawl. _Wait… Timing is imperative. _She remained frozen until he approached her. With a heavy punch to the side of his head, he was out. Azura unlocked the door and walked into the hallway, trying to appear as natural as possible. She ascended the grand staircase the guard had gestured to. As she got closer to the throne room, guards became more frequent. _This is going to be a problem… _A piece of metal on the wall caught her attention. _Ah, good, old vents. _She waited until there was a break in the flow of guards before popping it open and crawling in. She went in feet first, since she had to put the vent back, which was rather tricky. She shoved herself backwards through the vents, suppressing feelings of claustrophobia. With her feet, she felt she had reached an intersection. She pushed her feet down one way, so that she was facing forward again. Using her elbows, she propelled herself forward. The abrasive metal panels were making her elbows sore. _Just a little further. _Suddenly, she had an irrational fear that it could possibly drop down and result in a dead end. She shuddered. Finally, she heard voices, echoing through the vents. A shaft of light appeared down the tunnel. With renewed energy, she scooted forward until she was at the vent opening. Through the slits, she couldn't see anything, but the other side of the room. She heard the queen's voice. Azura burst through the vent, jumping onto the floor. She whipped out her gun and aimed it at the queen.

"Where's-" She stopped short when she spotted the bounty hunter… flirting with the queen.


	11. Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

She stared at the bounty hunter. "You! We thought you were… were-"

"You know this slave?" Asked the queen, her blue eyes glittering with curiosity.

He was silent for a moment. "Yes, very well. She's my slave, a run-away."

"What?! You know that's not-"

"Guards, apprehend her for breaking into the queen's throne room and threatening the queen."

The queen nodded her approval.

"Your majesty, since this is a personal offense towards you, I shall help escort her myself."

Azura turned to run. Before she knew it, he was on top of her.

"What are you doing?!" she demanded furiously.

The only answer he gave was the click of metal binders. She struggled in vain, but struggled nonetheless. A Zygerrian guard grabbed her elbow and led her out of the throne room. They went through a hallway. Azura tried to memorize the route they took, but got confused in the labyrinth of hallways. Just before they reached the cells, the guard stopped. He reached out to touch her midriff. In a lightning quick move, the bounty hunter batted his hand away.

"Don't," the bounty hunter seethed.

The guard was bewildered, but acquiesced. He pushed her into the cell and secured her arms to cuffs fused into the wall, so that she was standing and facing the wall. She thought he was going to try and touch her again, but thought better of it. She realized he had left when the metal door sealed shut. She was alone. She spent the next few hours in agony. Wondering what she could have done differently, where Eva was, and why the bounty hunter had betrayed her, though she wasn't too shocked. She shuffled her feet occasionally, trying to prevent them from getting numb and tingly. Finally, she heard the door open. She froze, unsure of what to expect. She heard the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps coming towards her.

"Who's there?"

"Me."

She erupted into fury. "You betrayed me." She was past yelling.

"I did what I had to."

"What you had to?!" She repeated incredulously.

"You would've done the same."

"I would rather die than betray those closest to me."

He paused, pondering her words. "Are you suggesting we're close?"

"No!" She yelled indignantly.

He sighed walked until he was next to the wall, so that she could see him.

"You were about to blow my cover. I stopped reporting, because they were starting to get suspicious. By capturing you, I'm proving that I'm loyal to them. This is vital information."

"And what will become of me?"

He paused before leaving. She was left to seethe alone.

Her arms ached. No matter how she moved them, they were impossibly numb. You could probably cut them off and I wouldn't feel anything. She was exhausted. There was no way to sleep like this. It had been two days. No food. No water. Her numb arms were one of the least of her problems, thought they were an irritant. She stood on her tiptoes, relieving the pressure on her arms from the metal cuffs. She jerked back. If only these would break. She couldn't stand the dusty, mute space in the cell. She couldn't stand the bone-dry feeling in her mouth, how it ached when she tried swallowing. She couldn't stand her stomachaches, caused by pangs of hunger. A matter of fact, all she could do was stand.

A metal 'whoosh' indicated the door had opened. _Finally, something. _She waited in anticipation. Azura felt a gloved hand touch her wrist. She stilled. The metal cuff opened with a 'click.' Then the other. She whirled around to face- _The bounty hunter? _She froze and eyed him warily, waiting for his next move.

"What are _you _doing here?" she demanded.

"Helping you escape."

Her eyes narrowed. "After capturing me, you help me escape?!"

He remained silent.

"How am I supposed to trust you?"

He paused, considering her question. "You don't. Do you want to escape or not?"

Her muscles tensed. _Who IS he working for? Why's he doing this? _She was about to ask him where Eva was, but decided against it. _Great. I can't trust him at ALL! How can I escape with him when Eva's gone AND I don't know whether or not he's trustworthy?!_

"I hate you," she muttered. _Well, that blew my chances of 'escaping.'_

He froze. His helmet was stoic, as always.

"Do you want to escape or not?" he repeated.

She was slightly taken aback. "I hope you have a plan," she sighed.

He led her out of the cell and through several corridors. She held her breath whenever she saw a guard. She felt like the whole palace could hear her heart beating. He used the hand signal for 'all clear.' She followed him out of the palace, knocking two guards out along the way. Just as she thought they were in the clear, she heard a shout from behind them.

"Run."

She didn't need to be told twice. She took off running as fast as she could, the bounty hunter a few paces ahead of her. Her feat beat the dusty ground as she sharply rounded a corner, the guards close behind. She could tell that out of the bounty hunter, guards, and herself, she was the slowest. The guards were slowly gaining. The bounty hunter grabbed her as he rounded another corner. He cut through the market place, leaping over a food stall. Azura was quite a bit slower. He picked her up and continued running. She wasn't in a position to protest. He ran through the twisting alleyways and worming through crowds. Finally, he let her down and bent over, breathing hard.

"I think we've lost them," he panted.

Azura nodded her agreement, observing her surroundings warily. He grabbed her arm and began leading her down another alley, when she yanked it away. He gave her a bewildered look, but didn't say anything. She followed him until he reached the city gate. He stopped suddenly and muttered something.

"What?" she whispered.

"They've got my ship."

"Now what?"

Just as she spoke, the city gates began to close. They creaked until the massive doors had shut. He tugged her in a different direction. They had gone into another alley, when he stopped. The bounty hunter froze. She didn't dare ask what it was. Suddenly, he sprang back to life.

"Run!" he yelled.

They rounded a corner, when the bounty hunter suddenly jumped on top of her, effectively covering. She heard a little whizzing noise. His body went limp. In alarm, she pushed him off of herself. There was a tiny, silver dart in his neck.

"Blast-"

She fell down beside him.


	12. Death and Silence

Author's Note: Thank you, Zaconator and Zackis, for favoriting my story : ) And to everyone else, this is a romance and it's fiction. Don't expect it to be realistic in any way and certainly don't let your hormones run away from you. ;)

Her head ached. It hadn't hurt this badly since she'd been captured by imperials. Her brain felt like cotton balls and the world swam around her.

"Get up!"

She was shoved. Azura tumbled over herself. She could make out afternoon light and colors.

"Stand before the queen!"

She winced at his loud voice and covered her ears. It ached. Colors formed into various hues and eventually shapes. The world became less murky.

"Get up!"

She cringed and covered her ears. She was hauled to her feet. She was about to crash on the floor again, but righted herself quickly. A female thing stood before her. She was covered in fur. Her pupil and sclera were black, while her iris was a dazzling blue. She had pointed ears and a fine, pointy nose. Her features were rather delicate and straight. A crown with sharp spires, embedded with jewels, adorned her head. The queen.

"Now, you are to answer all of the queen's questions, understood?"

"Questions? About what?"

A sharp, hot pain spiked through her back and she crumbled to her knees. She hissed as the area she'd been whipped continued to burn. It was like lightning and fire.

"Understood?!" he demanded harshly.

"Yes," she whimpered, slightly disoriented.

"Now," purred the queen. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Unfortunately, the answers flooded her mind. Azura would've rather stayed in her stupor than remember.

"I-I-"

Another lash, ripping through her entire body. She cringed, but refused to make a noise.

"I am a slave girl." She was surprised at her steady voice, when her whole body was trembling with the effort to stand.

"Liar!"

Her condescending tone brought down another lash, searing her back like fire. The intense burn was beginning to ebb.

"No, your majesty. I-"

"You recognized the bounty hunter. You were looking for him. Why?"

"Because, your majesty, he…" The pain made everything around her sharp and focused, but her mind slow. "I… He…"

The only warning was the snap of the whip and crackle of electricity. Two more lashes. Azura curled on the floor. It burned. Her back was raw. She could slowly feel her clothing dampening with blood.

"She is hopelessly stupid. Perhaps, we will make more progress with him." She gestured to the bounty hunter. She revealed her pointed canines as she smiled. "Take his armor off. Expose his back. Let us see what he is made off."

Azura forehead was resting on the cold, smooth marble. She turned her head slightly. There was the bounty hunter, subdued by mere metal binders. Guards ripped pieces of armor off. The tore off his shirt. And helmet. Her cheeks heated as she gaped. _He could be a model._ The burn on her cheeks became fiercer than the burn of her back. For a split-second, she forgot where she was. Azura gaped openly as she observed his sharp jaw, chin, and cheekbones. On either side of his straight nose were two blazing hazel eyes. Spiked, warm brown fringed with smooth green. His dark brows were actually graceful, but currently furrowed in a frown. All of it was framed by thick, warm dark chocolate curls. They locked his hands in front of him with chains, which were wielded to the wall. His muscled back was bare. She couldn't see his chest. Part of her wished she could. The other very small part said she should get ahold of herself. She let out a shaky sigh.

"Oh, you are handsome," mused the queen.

Azura had to agree. She was still having trouble coming back to reality. A loud crack brought her out of her dreamy state. A burning red groove streaked across his back. He remained frozen, pressed against the wall. She could see his chest expand and shrink as he panted.

"That will be the first of many if you don't tell me who she is," hissed the queen.

Only his heavy breathing filled the room. The guard lashed him again. And again. Azura cringed as she heard the snap of the whip when it thwacked his exposed back. Blood dripped down in rivulets. He still remained frozen, though he was obviously pained. The queen stalked over to him, her eyes studying his face.

"Who is she? As soon as you tell me I will release you. I will reward you with a fine ship, jewels, slaves. Simply, answer my question. Who is she?"

He muttered something unintelligible. Apparently, the queen understood it. She recoiled in utter disgust and shock.

"You filthy," she stopped short and hissed. "Beat him. Beat him until his screams rattle the palace, until his skin is ripped off the bone, until he's dead," she hissed venomously.

This time, the guard drew his arm back and didn't hold back anything. She saw the guard's muscles work as he whipped him. Azura felt sick, but she couldn't turn away. Her eyes stung and her throat constricted. She violently grimaced with each new lash. Finally, the guard stopped and bent over. His breath came in thick slabs. He drew his arm back again and expertly flicked the whip. The bounty hunter collapsed to his knees. He let out a pained groan. The queen's eyes flashed.

"Again!"

The whip snapped. This time, his body shook and trembled.

"Faster!"

The guard let out a series of quick lashes. The bounty hunter let out an anguished yell. Azura flinched. She didn't think she could take anymore. She couldn't imagine how the bounty hunter was faring. The guard whipped him again, he crumpled to the floor. The guard snapped the whip for show before drawing his arm back again.

"STOP!" demanded someone-a female.

Everyone turned towards the intruder, save the bounty hunter. Azura thought she'd burst with relief and happiness. She sunk her teeth into her lip to prevent herself from screaming. EVA! She had a cloak, shading her face, but Azura would've recognized her a mile away.

"Drop the whip." Her voice was so low and ferocious.

The guard complied instantly.

"I demand to know who you are!" yelled the aggravated queen.

She smiled. It was anything but pleasant. Almost sinister. "That doesn't matter. All that matters is this."

She drew out a silver detonator from the folds of her cloak.

"Ha ha," the queen crackled. "You expect us to believe you would actually blow up everyone here, including yourself?! Stupid, stupid girl."

With the click of a button, the detonator began beeping. With each beep, it pulsed with red light.

"It's set for ten seconds."

"Liar."

_She IS kidding, isn't she?!_ The beeps became more frequent. Azura could feel the time slipping away. As the beeping became frenzied, she saw Eva draw in a deep breath.

"STOP!" demanded the queen. "What do you want?"

Eva exhaled. "Your two prisoners."

"Take them!" she cried.

The guards removed Azura's metal binders.

"Get out of here and don't return!" she yelled.

"And don't think about following us!" Eva snapped back. She dropped the detonator and revealed a remote. "You so much as move and I'll blow the palace up, understood?"

The queen nodded. Submissiveness suited her quite well. Eva offered a hand to the bounty hunter. With a scowl, he ignored the hand and stood up. The trio ran through the palace and exited, guards watching them warily. The bounty hunter's breaths became labored. Azura still couldn't imagine how he was standing.

"This way. We'll get you patched up on the ship," Eva told the bounty hunter.

He nodded mutely. They stumbled through the streets. Azura could see the walk was beginning to strain the bounty hunter. Beads of sweat appeared on his tanned forehead. She observed how his muscles moved when he walked. He was still graceful, in a way. _Stop it_, she chided herself, but she couldn't help noticing his chest. It was muscular and broad, but lean. Muscles rippled through his body. _And I thought Holomovie stars were toned._ Her skin felt like it was on fire, so she turned away. She avoided observing him at all costs, yet she managed to flick her gaze his way every now and then. Her thoughts were whirling. Suddenly, he jumped on top of her. He crouched down, herself underneath him. He brought his arms protectively encircled her waist. Azura froze, stunned. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest, his breathing in synchrony with hers.

Suddenly, thunder erupted. Blistering heat scorched her skin. She tucked herself in tighter. She could hear the bounty hunter groan above her. There was a flash and it stopped instantly. Her ears hurt. A drop of warm blood trickled from her right ear onto the ground. A muted whine was the only sound. It didn't make sense. She turned to face the source of the thunder. The area around it was sooty. Among the wreckage was a corpse. She squirmed out of his grip and collapsed in front of the corpse. The body was black and red, the skin peeling gruesomely. By some miracle, the eyes were in perfect condition. They were a stunning molten blue, which shimmered in the evening sun. She stared into their icy depths. They stared blankly back at her. She let out a choking sob, which she couldn't even hear. The whole world was silent. There was no one mourning her.

Scalding tears dripped down her cheeks. She tenderly brought the head to her lap and cradled it. Her clothing was burned and singed. The skin was blistered and cracked. She gingerly brought her lips down and kissed the forehead, somehow afraid that she'd hurt it more. Mercifully, her vision became blurred with tears. All she could see was red and black, pricked by tiny pin-points of blue. Her throat felt raw, though she wasn't sure why. She felt something grab her. She desperately clawed and beat at her captor. Azura couldn't peel her eyes away from the wreckage. Eventually, she was carried away. The iron grip secured around her waist was too strong. She vaguely recollected being brought to a ship. Even as she stared at the metal wall, she could see nothing but charred flesh and pure blue eyes. The ship rocked and trembled silently. Everything was silent. Everything was dead.


	13. Blazing

Azura let out a groan and rubbed her eyes. She brushed a hand over her tear-stained cheeks. Sound was back again. No more mute silence. _She didn't die. She just couldn't._ The ship shook and the engines hummed irregularly. _Something's wrong._ She got to her feet, steadying herself with a hand to the wall. She opened the door leading to the cockpit. She froze. There was a dashing, handsome man in the pilot seat. For a moment, she thought she'd faint. Then she remembered. _That is NOT the bounty hunter… I have the craziest dreams._ His jaw was set and he was entirely focused on the view before him. A giant green orb hovered against a curtain of black, speckled with diamonds.

"Beautiful," she breathed.

He turned his attention to her, then back to the controls.

"Well, you'll get to see it up close," he muttered. "We're out of fuel and I have to make a landing. Buckle up."

"Why would _I_ listen to you?"

"Because death is imminent otherwise."

_Alright, legitimate reason._ She sat down and strapped herself in. The jungle-coated planet grew closer. The atmosphere created a blue, ethereal aura. They grew closer still. The viewing panel began to glow with orange fire. Azura inhaled sharply. Clouds streaked past. THUD. Her head jolted forward. She almost thought it would decapitate her. She felt metallic blood in her mouth.

"What happened?" She asked.

He stared at her. "We landed."

"No! I meant… before." Her demeanor grew quiet and sullen.

"Oh." He cast his hazel eyes on the ground. "I stole a Zygerrian ship and it was low on fuel."

She was about to say that wasn't what she meant, but stopped. She didn't want to know. She was fine with pretending whatever happened was a fantasy. She'd suppress the memory for as long as possible. Azura noticed he was staring at her. She blushed.

"And where have we landed?"

She was unable to meet his eyes. Her heart thumped inside of her chest, though she still wasn't sure why.

"Let's find out. I believe there's a spaceport, if we travel far enough. It will take a week of walking. We should pack up all the supplies we can here before we go."

Azura nodded numbly. She looked him up and down. He was in a flight suit. Slightly disappointed, she looked away.

"Oh, there's flight suits in the back closet."

She thought he might've blushed, but she turned away too soon to see. She grabbed one and went in the back room to change. When she reemerged, he refused to meet her gaze. She tried to ignore it. He handed her a light pack. She slipped it on and followed him out of the ship.

A refreshing mist veiled the tropical, lush jungle. A bright burst of pink caught her eye. It was a brilliant flower. The middle was cherry red, the tips neon pink, arrayed in the shape of a flower. She was about to touch its velvet petals, when he grabbed her wrist. The contact sent warmth pulsing through her.

"Don't. Touch."

_Definitely the bounty hunter._ She saw concern in his eyes instead of stern coldness.

"And why not?" she snapped, not about to be subdued.

"It could be dangerous. Haven't you heard of carnivorous plants?" he replied coolly.

She looked at the bright flare of pink and red. "Well, I'm pretty sure this one's safe. It doesn't strike me as carnivorous."

He gave her a half smile and rolled his eyes. Shocked, she stared at him. _He's never smiled before… Well, then again, he's never taken his helmet off before either. _Almost reluctantly, he released her wrist. His gaze grew distant as he observed the jungle. She had the strangest urge to brush a curl from his face, which led to the urge to run her fingers through his hair. She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought.

"This way."

He jogged off into the forest with Azura close behind. After a few hours, her mouth was dry and her saliva was sticky. She was exhausted and she had a really annoying stitch.

"C-can't we stop?" she panted.

Azura was surprised she'd even made it this far. He frowned.

"At this pace, we won't get there at all-"

Azura sighed. "Just some water, please?"

He nodded. "Make it quick."

She guzzled half her bottle. "Ready."

He took off jogging at an impossible pace. _Is he TRYING to lose me?_ She jogged until she couldn't swallow. Her knee began to throb. He finally stopped at nightfall. He eyed the trees warily. Azura collapsed onto the ground and curled up.

"Not here!" he said.

"I'm not moving." Her voice was muffled by the ground.

"Yes, you are. There are predators here at night."

She bolted upright. "Well then _where_?!"

He glanced upwards. "The trees are slightly safer."

"_Slightly_?!"

He flashed her a grin, giving her pause.

"I'll boost you up this tree."

He patted its thick, moss-coated trunk. He interlocked his fingers. She used it as a foot hold and nimbly scaled the tree. He followed after her.

"How am I supposed to sleep in a tree?" she demanded.

"Just try not to fall."

He rested face down on a thick branch. She copied him. Surprisingly, she didn't fall. Though her sleep was haunted by memories best forgotten.

The rising sun cast a beautiful golden glow on her face. He watched her silently, almost afraid that by looking at her, she'd wake. Her eyes fluttered slightly. She let out a small whimper. His heart constricted. More than anything, he wanted to wrap his arms around her and cuddle her. _Cuddle? Focus! You need to reach the spaceport alive. _He still stared at her face. Her sleek purple locks fell over her shoulder in a braid. He balled his hand into a fist, willing himself not to touch her. Her eyes fluttered open. He smoothly slid his gaze elsewhere, hoping she didn't notice. She moaned slightly.

"I'm still in one piece," she noted.

_Of course you are. Someone like you would be able to survive anything. _He swallowed. It probably was best not to give her a compliment. After all, she did hate him. He hated that word. Hate. He shook his head at the irony.

"We should get moving."

He hoisted his pack higher on his shoulders and climbed down the tree. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered her. The strain hurt his back, but it didn't matter. His hands lingered longer than they needed to.

"You know, I can climb down by myself."

"I suppose you can." He suppressed a sigh.

He jogged in front of her, dodging limbs, roots, and undergrowth. He was careful to measure his pace, so that he wasn't too far from her. She stopped a few times for a water break. He could tell the jog was really wearing on her. The sun was making its descent across the azure sky when he stopped suddenly. She accidentally bumped into him. He enjoyed their brief contact, but ignored it. _I _know_ I heard something. Another _gentle rustle. He froze, perfectly still. Sweat had thoroughly soaked his clothing, making it sticky. He savored the cool breeze, gently blowing his hair. He was about to relax, when he heard a sharp 'snap.'

Something leapt out of the trees. It's jagged, razor-sharp teeth were curved in something reminiscent to a sinister smile. Four blazing red eyes watched his every move. Its split tail flickered and its spiked fur bristled. _A Nexu. Blast!_ It backed up and sprung towards them. He could vaguely heard a gasp behind him. He could dodge it, but then it would land on Azura. He grabbed her and pulled her to the ground. The only thing between her and danger was him. He groaned as he felt its hooked claws rake his back. That'll leave a mark. He bolted upright and whipped out his gun. The Nexu was already turning towards them, preparing for another strike. He pressed the trigger. The smell of burnt flesh and fur wafted through the air as the beast limply collapsed.

Azura was peering at the beast cautiously. A bright streak of scarlet caught his attention. There was a deep gash on one of her legs. He grimaced.

"We need to find shelter before dark."

She nodded numbly, the pain not quite taking impact yet. He wasn't even sure if she noticed it. Apparently not. She tried to stand, but collapsed. With a puzzled expression she observed her leg. Without hesitation, he swept her off of her feet.

"I didn't give you my permission to carry me," she growled.

"I didn't ask."

_Someone's feeling snappy_. She scowled at him. He ignored it and surveyed their surroundings. He noted a rocky ridge in the distance. He started sprinted towards it; feverishly hoping they wouldn't run into any more predators. His could feel the deep cuts in his back. Whip marks, burns, and now gashes. It had begun healing on the ship, but he could tell his previous injuries were bleeding again. He muttered. They were leaving a trail for predators. He glanced down at Azura. She was deliberately looking away from him. Possibly in embarrassment of her condition. There was a lot of blood on her leg, but it didn't look like it was gushing. It was still severe. He observed how her luminescent yellow eyes twinkled in the twilight. She had high, delicate cheek bones, a cute nose, and soft, curving lips. He had a sudden impulse to sweep her up and kiss her senseless. _I can only imagine how much more she'd hate me if I did._ He willfully glanced away and stiffened. He couldn't succumb to such desires, no matter how tempting they might be.

He stopped at the short, craggy bluff. There was a tiny indentation, which formed a cave of sorts. It was high enough that no Nexu would bother them. He pulled out his gun and shot the grappling hook next to the cave. He gripped the gun handle tightly in one hand and with the other clung to Azura. As they were hauled upward, it took all his strength not to cry out. The way his back stretched hurt. He could feel the pain intensify as blood flowed in streams down his back. Finally, he set her down in the cave. He crawled in and collapsed. He screwed his eyes shut and forced himself to breathe.

"Your back!" she cried, surprised.

He didn't have the strength to respond. Suddenly, he felt her hands at the top of his flight suit.

"Wh-what-"

"Your bandages need to be replaced."

She unzipped the top half. He heard her inhale sharply as she gazed at his back.

"How is it?" he murmured.

"N-not too good."

Azura swallowed audibly. She rummaged through one of the bags. He heard a lid pop. She began rubbing some ointment into his skin. Her hands were so tiny and cool. He savored the way they ran up and down his back, working the ointment into his cuts. It _burned_, but is felt _so_ good to have her touch him. _I'd do this all over again, as long as she did this._ Her hands gingerly touched his back. He shivered. They gently ran up to his shoulders and neck. This time, he moaned.

"You okay?"

"Yes."

_Better than I've been in my whole life._ He turned his head so he could watch her. Her brow was slightly furrowed in concentration. He felt pity for those that couldn't be touched by such an angelic being. Her eyes briefly met his, but she looked away.

"Could you not look at me like _that_?" she asked.

"I can't help it," he mumbled contently.

She blushed furiously and directed her gaze further from his. After a while she stopped.

"Sorry, but you need to sit up for this part."

He nodded and sat up, refusing to show any signs of pain. She grabbed a roll of gauze bandage and began wrapping it around him. Her hands were trembling. She accidentally brushed a hand against his chest. She let out a small gasp. _I'm enjoying this too much,_ he thought to himself. He noticed her cheeks were blazing pink as she deliberately looked away.


	14. Only a Dream

Her skin erupted into scorching flames as she timidly touched his back and chest. _Cool down, just cool down, _she urged herself. His gaze was so intense when he was looking at her, which wasn't helping anything. She felt that as soon as she met his blazing eyes, she'd melt. She drew in a breath to steady herself. It didn't work. Her thoughts were swirling around incoherently. She barely seemed capable of fumbling with the gauze bandage. In her peripheral vision, he was still staring at her. _What's wrong with him?! 'I can't help it,' _she recalled his earlier comment. Her cheeks burned furiously at the memory. She wrapped the bandage around him a couple times and tied it off securely.

"Th-that'll w-w-work f-for now." She grimaced at the way her voice wobbled.

He turned to face her. His hazel eyes were so sincere and beautiful.

"Thank you."

Azura nodded mutely. He was about to zip up his flight suit. _I hate myself. _

"Y-you might not want to do that."

He paused and turned towards her, perplexed.

"Y-you don't want anything t-to touch your wounds."

He nodded in agreement and left it down. _Maybe he should just zip it up so I can think! _But she didn't suggest anything else. He observed the darkening skies.

"It might start to rain." He turned back towards her. "I guess we should eat before sleeping."

He pulled a ration bar out of his pack. He took a bit and washed it down with some water. Azura copied him. Her water bottle was dry, save a few drops.

"Out of water?"

"Yeah. I'm not thirsty anyway."

She put her water bottle up. He scooted closer and placed his bottle in her hand. She shivered at the contact.

"Have mine."

"No, you should keep it," she urged.

"Not thirsty."

"I really can't." She held the water bottle towards him.

"I mean it. We'll cross a stream tomorrow anyways."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

He gave her the water bottle. She took it and fumbled with it shyly, looking away from him.

"What's the matter?" he inquired.

"Nothing."

"I asked you a question."

She looked up. He was smirking playfully. Azura continued to finger the water bottle.

"Well?" he prompted.

"It's just that… you-you've never stared at me before."

He cocked an eyebrow. "I've done that ever since I saw you."

"Not like you've been doing recently."

He gave her a bewildered look. "I've always looked at you like that."

"Oh." She ducked her head.

Her cheeks were on fire again. Azura _had _noticed him staring at her before, but she always interpreted it as more of a glare. She took out a thin blanket from her pack. _I better stop talking to him before I spontaneously combust. _She was lying near the edge, looking over the vast, fog-veiled jungle. Eventually, she heard him settle down too. Azura watched as the sky turned from misty gray to charcoal, since she was unable to sleep. Rain began pouring down in thick sheets, but the cave shielded her. The drops became bigger and plumper as they beat the ground. Together they sounded like they were hushing the forest. She began to relax. The rhythmic pattering was soothing. Suddenly, a white-hot bolt streaked across the sky. A loud burst of thunder echoed through the forest, shaking the ground beneath her. The air was unusually frigid. She lazily scanned the lush green canopy of the forest, with bright bursts of color from various flowers. Her gaze stopped. Just inside the shadows of the forest, four red eyes peered at her. Watching. Waiting. She whimpered quietly. Shivers of fear wracked her body. Suddenly, she felt warm hands wrap around her waist. She turned to face him with large bright yellow eyes. He lifted her over him and settled her on the other side, away from the opening.

"You're safe," he breathed.

She believed him. Warm blackness enshrouded her.

A small moan brought her out of the darkness of oblivion. She was surprised he could make such a pitiful, helpless sound. He tossed one way, towards her. His locks were in disarray. He was frowning slightly and his hand occasionally twitched. He wriggled. It seemed as if he were trying to escape a bad dream.

"No," he cried quietly.

His jaw was set and his muscles tense. His eyes were screwed shut. He breathed deeply and stilled. _What could he have to dream about that would be so bad? _

Unexpectedly, his hand drifted to her hip. It settled there and pulled her closer. She inhaled sharply. She was against his warm chest, chiseled to perfection. _Must he be _so _perfect? _She splayed her hand against it, intending to push him away, but instead she left it there. His breathing quickened as did hers. He began nuzzling her neck with delicate kisses. So faint, they were whispers. She urged herself to push away, but couldn't. Her limp body began to tremble uncontrollably. His head was angled slightly to the side as his lips came closer and closer to hers. She was surprised to find her own lips parted. Their breaths mingled. Her heart fluttered inside her chest. At first, it was a delicate butterfly of a kiss. Then his arms encircled her. He drew her to him so their bodies were pressed against each other. His hands intertwined with her hair as their kiss intensified. Her body went completely lax and her lips responded to his, _almost _against her will. His eyelids fluttered open and he stared at her in his arms. She blushed and squirmed uncomfortably. He immediately drew back.

His voice was low and husky, "I-I'm sorry. I thought you were in my dream."

"You kiss me in your dreams?" She instantly knew she should have kept her mouth shut.

He ducked his head in shame and embarrassment. He swung his legs over the edge. It looked like he was going to scale down. She tentatively reached out and touched his arm. He turned towards her. His eyes seemed sad and subdued. _What do I say?! I don't want you to go? It's okay; I don't mind being kissed randomly? _She blushed at her last thought. Azura opened and then closed her mouth indecisively. His eyes bore into hers. He sighed and disappeared. She glanced over the edge to see him climbing down. _He shouldn't be doing that with his back so severely damaged. _She decided against telling him so.

_How could I be _so _stupid?! If she didn't hate me before, she certainly does now. _He blindly ran through the forest. The cool rain dripped down his chest onto the forest floor. He kept on running. _I should've had better self-control! I can't _believe _I took advantage of her like that. _He felt sick. He could feel his back bleeding again, but didn't care. He ran faster. A branch scraped his chest. He hissed softly, but increased his pace. Suddenly, his foot caught on a root and he fell face first into the dirt. He remained there, listening to the sounds of the forest. He groaned as he stood up, brushing the dirt off of himself. He sighed and buried his face into his hands.

He let out a frustrated moan. _Why do I care about her so much? _His heart clenched violently whenever she rejected him. He couldn't bear the idea of living without her. Yet, that seemed like the most realistic possibility so far. He sighed as he touched his lips in memory. _If only it _was_ a dream. _


	15. The Jungle Abyss

Author's Note: I am thrilled you like it, Destiny, and thank you for the review!

He didn't come back until late morning. He nimbly packed his bag, avoiding her gaze at all costs. She bit her lower lip in frustration as she lifted her pack. He shot the grappling hook up and stiffly held her, unlike the previous night.

When he set her on the ground he finally spoke, "I was doing some scouting the other night. The stream's not too far from here."

She nodded in acknowledgement and followed his grueling pace without complaint. The warm humidity of the jungle made her feel sticky and suffocated. Her clothes and hair, slick with perspiration, clung to her skin. She swatted another pesky insect. Sweat rolled down her skin in thick, salty beads. She could feel her heart throbbing inside her chest. Her skin felt like it was roasting. She began bouncing slightly as she jogged, which wore her out quickly. She settled to stumbling along behind him as fast as she could. Azura was vaguely aware of a stinging in her leg. She was exhausted by noon. By then they had reached the stream. She went to her knees and filled her water bottle, trying to catch her breath. Her lungs felt like they would burst and her throat was _so _dry. She gulped down large quantities of water, trying to quench her thirst. Suddenly, she felt the water bottle yanked away from her.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Drinking! Not everyone can keep up that pace without getting dehydrated," she snapped.

"You'll get sick if you drink cold water too fast. You need to cool down."

_That's what I've been trying to do since yesterday. _She snatched her water bottle back and drank slowly. He whirled around and drank his water a good distance from her. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Somehow, she preferred he treat her like he had the other night. Like she mattered. She suppressed those feelings and finished her water. Azura shook her head_. I shouldn't be reacting to him like this. I need to get a grip. _She refilled it before they started jogging again. The pace was a bit easier. She tripped and collapsed onto the ground.

He sighed, "We need to go further."

"My leg won't take me further."

He bent down and pulled up her pant leg. A piece of thin cloth had been hastily secured around her leg. He slipped the cloth off. He grimaced as he observed her leg. It was bright red and swelling. The first signs of infection.

"What's this?" he demanded as he held up the cloth.

"The blanket. I ran out of gauze bandages."

He ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair.

"We'll have to stop early," he growled.

He slipped a hand behind her shoulders and under her knees.

"I can still walk!" she protested.

"I thought you said you couldn't go any further," he gave her a smug smile.

"Well, actually, I think I could."

He rolled his eyes and ignored her protests. He trudged through the thick jungle. She bounced up and down in his arms in beat to his steps. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Look up," he whispered. His warm breath tickled her ear.

She gasped. There was something that hung above them, suspended in the trees. It was web shaped, with eight legs stretching to grab onto various branches.

"Spiders?" she squeaked.

He chuckled. "No, it's an Aboreal Octopus."

She gave him a quizzical glance. "An octopus?"

He nodded.

"Why does it have fur? And octopuses go in water."

"Octopi," he corrected.

"Whatever."

He shrugged. "It's very different from other octopi, but it's definitely not a spider."

He resumed his jog. Azura cast one more suspicious glance at the 'octopus.' As the day grew darker, she heard his breath come in ragged pants. The jog had been harder on him than she thought. _It must be his back. _She winced at the thought. _Whip marks, burns, and now scratches from a Nexu… _She froze as it finally dawned on her, _Every one of those marks was for me. Protecting my identity from the Zygerrians, protecting me from the detonator, and finally saving me from the claws of a Nexu. _A weight settled in her stomach. She felt guilt squeezing the breath out of her. She felt bad. _No, awful. Horrible. I _am _horrible, _she amended mentally. She buried her face in her hands.

"You okay?" His voice was so warm.

She withdrew her head from her hands and painted a passive expression on her face.

"Yep," she replied nonchalantly.

She glanced at him curiously. Why _is he doing this? _Finally, he set her down in between the roots of a towering tree.

"Is this safe? Why aren't we staying in the trees?"

"Nexu love trees. Don't worry, Nexu don't roam the entire forest."

Azura swallowed. She knew he wasn't telling her the whole truth. Their blood would be a delicious scent wafting through the air, attracting all Nexu anywhere near them. She shuddered. He grabbed the pack from her shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

In response, he pulled out her ripped blanket and tore it into strips. He pulled up her pant leg. Using some water from his bottle, he cleaned the gash and applied ointment. She hissed as quietly as possibly. He noticed her hands clenched tightly into fists. He gently wrapped a piece of cloth around her leg and tied it tightly.

"Your turn." Azura boldly zipped down his flight suit.

The rippling muscles on his back gave her pause. _Stop! _She mentally kicked herself. Azura peeled the bandages off. What gave her a longer pause were the cuts and burns. They looked worse. His skin was peeling and bleeding everywhere.

"Blast it," she muttered.

"That bad?" he asked.

"Worse."

She could feel him tense as she washed the blood and dirt away. Azura tenderly applied the ointment and wrapped a few strips of the blanket around him. The back of his flight suit was bloody. Though she didn't want it left down, she knew it certainly couldn't be zipped up.

"You'll have to sleep on your stomach. And _don't _zip up your flight suit," she added.

In reply, he laid down on his stomach, his gun close at hand.

"There's another blanket you can use in my pack," he murmured.

"Don't you need it?"

"I can't have anything touching my back, remember?"

"Oh…" She couldn't find it in herself to thank him.

She nibbled on her rations on curled up on the ground.

Surprisingly, they weren't attacked that night. He finished packing and approached her.

"Don't touch me," she hissed vehemently.

He flinched slightly. An expression of regret flickered across his face.

"How do you intend to walk?" he inquired.

"How do _you _intend to walk?" she shot back.

"My back doesn't help me with running," he snorted.

"Well… it still gets worse after running."

"So what's the alternative? Waiting until we're eaten by a Nexu?"

Seeing that she was losing the argument, she replied, "Maybe."

He sighed and gently approached her, as if she were would spook were he to move too quickly. She scooted away.

"Don't," she warned.

He crept closer.

"I mean it!"

He swept her up in a lightning quick move. She crossed her arms obstinately.

"Put me down."

He began jogging. Azura sighed, knowing she would lose her voice long before he _considered _listening to her. The jolting movement irritated her leg. She stubbornly refused to acknowledge any pain. Azura wiped beads of dripping sweat away from her face with her sleeve. The flight suits were made for space, a frigid, icy vacuum, not the jungle. She pulled on her collar uncomfortably. She felt she'd suffocate if she were to wear it much longer. Azura glanced at his face. It was hardened. Occasionally, he'd wince.

"Let's stop," she suggested.

"Got to… keep going…"

He drew in a sharp, ragged breath. He couldn't take much more.

"I-I really can't stand anymore of the bouncing. My leg is really hurting. I can't take much more of this." She added in a small groan for emphasis.

He slowed his pace and cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Very well," he acquiesced with a sigh.

He tenderly set her on the ground and collapsed beside her.

"Let's take a look at that leg."

She let him grab her leg and roll it up. He muttered a string of curses, though they sounded foreign.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"For what?" she asked warily.

"Your leg. It's infected badly. I should've…" His voice trailed off and he ran his hand through his thick curls.

Azura swallowed. "Will it need to be amputated?"

"No… Not if we drain the puss."

"Drain the puss?" She hoped it was more painless than it sounded.

"I need to cut it open further and squeeze it until it all drains out."

"Ow," she squeaked.

He bit his lip and nodded. "Sorry, there's not a whole lot of options."

She drew in a deep breath and nodded. "M-might as well get it over with."

He nodded and withdrew a straight, razor-sharp knife. Azura gasped and screwed her eyes shut. She let out a small whimper. She heard a wet ripping sound and screamed. Her whole body shook. The knife was so cold as it sliced, yet her wound burned. She let out another scream and collapsed into the ground. Excruciating pain laced her leg. She drew in a shaky gasp. It was so intense. She realized her palms were wet and sticky. Her fingernails had dug into her palms when she balled them into fists and now they bled. Her body shook and her cheeks were wet with tears. She let out a sob. She bit the inside of her check as hard as she could. Something-_anything _to distract her. She felt a warm hand cup her cheek. She gazed at him through watery eyes.

He squeezed her hand before grabbing her leg. His hands slowly constricted and massaged her leg. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back as jolts of pain shook her body. He squeezed tighter and tighter. She grabbed fistfuls of dirt as more hot tears leaked out of her eyes and seared her skin.

"Done," he faintly whispered.

Breathless, she limply fell to the ground. Her breaths were pained and ragged. She moaned and closed her eyes, trying to shut the world out. She let out another sob. Azura couldn't decide which was worse: the sharp spike of pain at first or the searing, throbbing pain, which was much more persistent. She shook so that her teeth chattered. He tenderly gathered her in his arms and wrapped a blanket around her lax body. He cradled her gently, as if she were made of delicate china. Brief moments of merciful blackness visited her irregularly throughout the night.


	16. Drowning in Sorrow

He walked at an easy pace the next day. She was being carried. Again and despite her rather loud protests. The air around them hung heavy, moist, and still. Beams of dim green light fell from the jungle canopy. Leaves brushed past her. Large, mangled roots twisted their way along the ground, making each step precarious. The trees towered high above them. Azura eyed the canopy warily. Watching for the 'octopuses' or sneaking Nexu. She longed for a breeze to stir the stifling air. He stopped abruptly and cocked his head slightly. Knowing this signal well, Azura listened intently. A whisper floated through the air, almost inaudible. She heard the pitch of the voices rise, then fall. They were murmurs, obviously by an intelligent being. His footsteps quickened. A small town emerged from the jungle depths.

Small, rusting buildings crowded each other, separated by a bare path. Each hut had a small awning with sealed Dura steel doors. A landing bay rose from the huddled buildings. The town was silent and eerie. Azura shivered. The bounty hunter knocked on a hut near the landing bay. Azura heard movement from the inside. The door creaked as it slid back.

"Hmph?" An elderly man, with leathery, sagging skin gave them a puzzled gaze.

"Do you have a ship we could use? I'll pay you back," the bounty hunter offered.

The wizened man's eyes were like two pale chips of ice.

"Erm. How will you pay me pack?"

"Credits."

"Credits, eh? How many?"

"How about 15,000 for that one." He gestured to a rusting cargo ship.

The man stroked his wispy, bleached beard. "Twenty."

"Sixteen."

"Nineteen."

"Sixteen _and _a half."

"Ehh… deal." The little man shrugged his knobby shoulders. "When ya gonna give them credits?"

"Do you have a computer I could use? I could transfer the credits into your account."

"Hmm…" The man regarded them cautiously before ushering them inside.

The bounty hunter gently set her on a chair. The man showed him the computer. His fingers flew across the keys.

"Done. Now, the ship?"

"Yep. The code's 1939. Have fun."

He picked up Azura again and carried her to the ship. The door creaked open and he set her down in the co-pilot seat. He checked all the ship's systems.

"Blast!"

"What?"

"The ship doesn't have any fuel. That little swindler."

He left Azura to twiddle her thumbs. After a long wait, he came back and started the ship. The engines hummed and sputtered. The vibrations made her teeth chatter. _Not one of the smoothest ships I've been on. _Pinpoints of blinding white smeared the sky as the ship entered light speed.

"Dismissed."

Azura sighed. She had been through a few hours a grueling interrogation by Bel Iblis. He drilled her for every detail and, surprisingly, allowed the bounty hunter to remain with the rebel alliance. She had eaten and slept well. Her wound was tended to. Feeling revived and refreshed, she raced to her bunk. It smelled familiar and was just as she had left it. Azura collapsed onto the bed, hugging the warm fluffy pillow beneath her.

Darkness fringed her blurry vision. The world came into focus. Something had awakened her. She glanced around. It was a girl. She was new. Her golden hair was swept in a high ponytail. Sparkling brown eyes regarded her.

"I'm Sasha." She greeted her with a smile warmer than a summer breeze.

"Azura," she muttered in reply.

Azura continued to watch her. She got the day off and hadn't anything better to do. Suddenly, she sat up and frowned. Something was wrong. She glanced at the girl-Sasha. Azura swallowed. _That was Eva's bunk… _She felt sadness seep into her bones. She grabbed a fistful of blanket and stared. The girl was smoothing the blankets neatly. She cleared out the old things from underneath the bunk. Eva's things.

Her body began to tremble. It felt like someone had emptied her out; all that's left was a shell. Her vision grew hazy and blurred. She could feel her blood burn in her veins. Azura blindly ran into the hallway, not caring who or what she ran into. She fled into one of the janitor's closets and locked herself in. Azura sank to the ground. She didn't care who heard her screams. Sobs and pain wracked her body. She clenched her fists.

"WHY?!"

She wasn't asking; she was demanding. She ducked her head in between in legs. She couldn't breathe. The weight in her chest was more than she could bear. More scalding tears poured out. She let out another heart wrenching wail. Her face burned. She hastily whipped her nose on her sleeve. In a normal state, she might think it unsanitary, but now she didn't care.

"Why?" she asked softly.

_I only want one person who I could hang onto. Why can't I have that? Why her? _Her long lashes stuck together in wet clumps. She closed her eyes. A few more tears leaked out. _She warned me not to go. If I didn't go, she might still- _Her thoughts were interrupted by sobs, this time dry. She had nothing left to cry, but she couldn't stop. When her chest finally stopped heaving and the sobs subsided, she was left with a dull headache. Azura rubbed her pounding temples. She stayed where she was, crouched in the corner of the closet. She had no doubt her nose was running, her face flushed, and her eyes blood-shot. She rested her forehead on her knees and simply breathed.


	17. A Healing Soul

Azura idly twirled a strand of purple hair. Durxan droned _on _and _on _and _on _in his monotonous voice. Azura sighed.

"Azura?"

"Oh, umm, yes?"

"Which is it?"

"Which is what?!" she asked, bewildered.

"What's more important when you're stranded in a remote wilderness? A: Food. B: Shelter."

"Food!" Azura scoffed.

"Wrong, shelter!" chimed in an overly enthusiastic voice.

"Correct, Sasha. When you're lost, you stay put. You need shelter, especially if conditions are bad. Food is quite low on the agenda. The average adult can go without food for approximately 56 days."

_Ha! I can't go without food for three hours. _Azura eagerly glanced at the clock.

"Oh-eight-fifty nine!" she declared.

"Dismissed," sighed Durxan.

There was a chorus of squeaks and rustling of fabric as the rebels exited the room. Azura whisked up a notepad and was about to prance out the door, when a voice made her freeze.

"Azura?"

She whipped back around.

"Mr. Durxan," she acknowledged cordially.

"Just Durxan. I would like to have a talk with you."

Azura swallowed and felt her body tense. "Yes?" she implored.

"You've been on more adventures than most of the newbies. I understand your boredom, but this is for _your _survival, so I would… would like to…"

"To?" she prodded.

"Eat lunch with you."

"Oh! Sure."

"Great, see you soon."

"Uh, yeah."

She wiggled her fingers in a tiny wave before dashing down the hallway. She wasn't comfortable with the attention he showered upon her. _Rebel spies are meant to see, not be seen. _Azura feed the few prisoners. For a moment she stopped at the bounty hunter's cell. Of course, he wasn't there anymore. An unbidden smile graced her face as she recalled how he got out of that cell. She quickly dropped the smile. _Why am I smiling?! That wasn't a pleasant experience… No, it wasn't, but at least I was close to him, _she answered mentally. Azura sighed. Lately, she'd been avoiding him like the blue shadow virus. Every time she glanced at him, she remembered the molten blue eyes. Azura shivered and forcefully shoved the thought back into the recesses of her mind. _It's no big deal… Nothing can change what's happened. _She felt the familiar burden of guilt drag her down like a lead weight. _If he had only responded when the base tried to signal him… If only I hadn't gone… _She blinked the gathering tears away. _What's done is done. _With him also came other memories. She touched her lips as she remembered the heat that had blossomed when he kissed her. She vigorously shook her head. _Why do I react to him like this? I need control of myself. As I gain more distance from him, I gain more control over myself. _Satisfied with her reasoning, she hurried to finish her other chores.

Azura finished sopping up the warm, soapy water and rinsed the mop up. _Don't they have droids to do this?! _she thought irritably. She shoved the big, round bucket and thick, soiled mop into a closet before sprinting down the hallways. Azura slowed her pace, forcing herself to behave in a dignified manner. The hallway became denser with people as she neared the cafeteria. She unexpectedly brushed against someone, making her skin tingle with flames.

"Sorry," someone-a man murmured into her ear.

His warm breath tickled. Azura turned to face him. It was _him. _She tilted her head up to face him squarely. He emanated raw power. His muscled chest and arms only amplified the effect.

"It's fine," she brushed him off.

"Azura."

"I wonder what they've cooked up today," she sparked a conversation with a scrawny kid next to her.

"Usual grime and grit I suppose." He gave her a toothy smile.

"Azura." She heard his gently nagging voice behind her.

"I don't know; the fruit was pretty good yesterday."

She felt strong hands grab her shoulders and turn her around.

"Azura," he repeated with quiet forcefulness.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked cordially.

"I need to see you. Alone," he whispered huskily.

"Well, I don't think my boyfriend would allow it," she sputtered.

He gave her a quizzical glance. "What- never mind. Since when have you allowed _anyone _to tell you what to do?"

"Since now, I s'pose. Now, if you'll excuse me!"

Azura wormed her way through the crowd, distancing herself from him. She felt him staring at the back of her head. Heat erupted across her skin, yet she shivered. Hastily, she snatched a lunch tray and heaped it with a creamy, carbohydrate-filled substance and with some jiggly jelly. She hadn't quite learned all the unfamiliar names of the food. Corellian food was quite different from what she was accustomed to. Azura plunked her tray down next to Durxan and made a point to be overly friendly and even flirtatious. _The more distance physically AND emotionally, the better, _she assured herself. She could still feel twin lasers scorching the back of her head. Azura squirmed uncomfortably under his scrutiny, but refused to react. Durxan responded to her with equally flirtatious words.

"Mmm, isn't this jelly delectable?"

"Not quite as delectable as you." He winked.

She giggled girlishly. _Lame. _

"I'm not sure I'd call her delectable," inserted a new voice.

It was _him. Ugh, he's not making this easy. _

"Why would it matter to _you?_" Durxan shot back.

"Because it's a crime to call someone as beautiful and attractive as her _delectable,_" he replied.

Azura blushed and ducked her head. _Blast it, he's smooth. Come on, Durxan. Think of something-ANYTHING to say. _

"No comment," he replied drearily.

_Blast you, Durxan! _His hazel eyes twinkled as he began to sit down on her other side.

"Oh, not there!"

He frowned slightly. "Why not?"

"I'm reserving this seat."

"For who?"

She was about to instinctively reply Eva, when the name caught on her throat.

"My imaginary friend!" she replied bluntly, tired of trying to be cordial.

Intense pain flickered across his face. It disappeared so quickly, Azura thought she had imagined it.

"Excuse me," he quietly dismissed himself.

He emanated no less power, but something about him posture made him look… defeated. Azura shook her head and laughed at herself. _Him? Defeated?! Never. _

"Well, you taught that kid!" Durxan laughed jovially.

She joined in with her own mirthless laughter.

"So," he continued. "What've you been up to?"

"Honestly? I'm getting over her… passing. I miss her."

He covered her hand with his.

"Don't worry. I'm here for you and you'll be all right."

His words weren't the soothing balm she hoped they'd be.


	18. Stung

The next day Azura was headed to the west wing, when bubbling laughter made her stop. She heard faint whispering and more giggles. Azura peered around the corner. It was _him. _A beautiful blonde girl-Sasha was pressed against the wall, arms clinging to his neck. Azura gasped. Her face flushed with anger before she fled down the hallways. Azura poured hot, soapy water on the floor and scoured it clean, trying to forget what she had just seen. _Well, fine! He can be like that. I have Durxan anyway… _

Azura plopped down next to Durxan at lunch. Her plate heaped with fruit.

"Looks like you've got quite an appetite!" he chuckled.

"I've got a weakness for fruit," she admitted with a giggle.

"So, how have you been? Working on the project I assigned you?"

Azura's shoulders slumped. "Actually, I'm still getting over Eva. I-I didn't think grieving would take this long, but…"

She paused and looked at Durxan expectantly.

"Ah," he said awkwardly before turning to his food.

That night, Azura couldn't erase the image of Sasha clinging to him from her head. She glanced over at Sasha's sleeping figure. Her mouth was curved pleasantly. No doubt she was thinking about that very scene as well. Azura clenched her fists and buried her head into her pillow. In the midst of night, she poured out her frustration through hot tears. _I shouldn't be crying like this. I should be stronger! _But no matter how she tried, the tears wouldn't stop flowing.

Azura groggily sat up the next morning to find she was late. Very late. She yanked a hair brush through her locks and tugged on some clothing. Her boots were half on, half off. She stumbled through the hallway, trying to shove them onto her feet. She was about to trip, slamming her face into the metal floor, when a hand caught her wrist.

"Need help?"

Without waiting for a reply, he sat her down on the floor. Gently, he tugged the shoes onto her feet. She swallowed and her throat locked up. Unexpectedly, her eyes glimmered with tears. She could feel herself throbbing with so many emotions: jealousy and fury towards Sasha, irritation towards Durxan, sadness for Eva, and she wasn't sure what she felt for _him. _He cheeks blushed with shame at him finding her in such a vulnerable state. _When am I not in a vulnerable state? _She froze as she felt his hand touch her bare back. Uncontrollable shivers wracked her body.

"You didn't zip it all the way," he explained.

She heard a 'zzzzz' as he zipped it up. Azura lowered her gaze and blushed more. His eyes desperately sought out hers.

"You okay?"

Azura was about to shake her head, but thought better of it. She nodded numbly. He pulled her to her feet, giving her a friendly glance before he left. Azura rubbed her blurry eyes and sprinted towards the cells.

She gently seated herself next to Durxan at lunch.

"Azura! I didn't see you in class. Playing hooky?"

"No, I'm sorry. I overslept."

"Overslept?" He rolled the word on his tongue as if it were foreign.

"Yeah… I-I couldn't stop thinking about Eva the other night."

"Again?!" he asked incredulously.

She nodded and sighed. He remained silent during the rest of lunch.

Durxan pulled her aside during free time.

"May I have a word?"

"Of course."

He led her away from the library, where she spent most of her time.

"Look, I've been thinking about what you said before and how you can't stop thinking of Eva. I want to talk to you about it."

"Okay…"

He sat her down at a table on the edge of the library.

"Well," she began. "It's just that-that-" She let out a sob. "She was like a sister to me. And it was my fault she died. If I obeyed orders… she would be alive. I cared for her so much and-" Tears made her vision swim.

She heart Durxan let out a frustrated sigh. "Look, Azura."

"And she died on my account. By all means, I should be dead and not her and-"

She was cut off as Durxan grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Azura's head yanked back and forth. She froze, stunned.

"Shake it off, girl! Look, I find you… appealing, but you've gotta put this in the past and look to the future. Move forwards and never look back. Just forget about what happened."

"How?! She meant so much to me…"

He gave her an exasperated look. "Okay. I _really _like you, but you need to get yourself _together_! I can't be with a girl who burst into fits of hysteria every time she sees the color blue and remembers her _dead _friend's eyes. Oh my stars! Quit being such a drama queen."

The rebuke felt like a sharp, stinging slap. Azura winced as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks. Boiling anger filled her blood. Her hand balled into fists. On impulse, she decked him. Her fist landed squarely on his jaw. She saw a look of surprise on his face as he comprehended what was happening. Her fist collided with his skin making a satisfying 'thwack.' His chair tilted over and he crashed to the ground. Without waiting to see his reaction, she left.


	19. Interrogation

The next few days were miserable for her, Durxan and Sasha made sure of that. Durxan scoffed her lack of knowledge during class. Sasha mocked her during all waking hours, effectively shoving her relationship with _him _in her face. Little impish clones of them haunted her sleep.

"Ms. Azura, the population of Abanol?" She could practically hear Durxan smirk.

"Ninety million?" Azura sighed.

"Ha! Abanol is a toxic wasteland. There are no inhabitants."

"And when are we going to use this information?"

"Sit down, miss, or you'll get _another _time out session."

She plunked down on her seat. She'd give anything to pummel him into the ground. _This is the Rebel Alliance, not preschool! _She crossed her arms. _Perhaps joining wasn't such a good idea… _

Azura sat alone during lunch. Sasha had captured everyone else's attention. She was over the top, outgoing, and terribly prissy. She grated on Azura's nerves. Azura feared her nerves would start fraying. A crowded table off to the side was wear Sasha and all her puppets, including _him, _ate. She was practically draped all over him. Sasha loudly squealed at something he said. _That arrogant, annoying man! _She seethed quietly, hoping for an opportunity to set him straight during her free time. Luckily for her, she found the perfect moment.

_There he is. _The bounty hunter was playing a dull card game with a few other obnoxious males. _He fits in quite well. _Azura casually walked towards the table and tapped his shoulder.

"I need to talk with you."

His face lit up, though Azura wasn't sure why. _Is he amused? _She tugged him towards her room, which was currently deserted. She closed the door securely behind her and whirled to face him.

"Why do you even hang out with _her_?!" she demanded.

"Who?" he asked, feigning ignorance or innocence.

"You know who!" She paused suddenly. "You're _jealous, _aren't you?" Azura cockily raised an eyebrow.

He smirked playfully. "Yes. I am. And for a while, I was afraid I was the only one."

Azura was taken aback by his confession and then by the latter statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She placed her hands on her hips.

He smiled. "You should know. I'm very patient."

That was all the explanation he gave before leaving in his typical, abrupt manner.

Azura massaged her throbbing temples as she glanced at another flash card. The words seemed to blur together. Durxan, claiming she needed to catch up, was giving her, no one else, a large exam. Azura blinked rapidly and pressed her forehead onto the card, as if that could imprint it in her memory. She groaned and glanced at her Chrono. _0415\. _She leaned back in her chair and glanced at the ceiling before forcing her gaze back down to the table. She stifled a yawn and rubbed her bleary eyes. _I have to… hurry. Only 45 minutes till I have to go do stuff. _Her thoughts became groggy and incoherent. She pushed the chair back and strode out of the library. A drink from the cafeteria would do her good. She saw the bounty hunter walking her way, but kept her gaze focused in front of her. She still avoided him. The memories were too bitter for her. He had quietly asked to meet with her alone a few times, but she ignored him like she always did. He was terribly persistent.

As Azura passed him, she was surprised. He didn't even ask to meet with her in private. Something inside her felt disappointed that he'd given up on her, but she shrugged it off. Azura gasped as she was suddenly lifted into the air. A broad, muscled shoulder dug into her stomach. Before she could start thrashing, the world went pitch-black.

"He did _not _just knock me unconscious!" she thought out loud.

She heard a low chuckle. "No, he didn't," the voice assured her.

With a tiny 'click' a light blinked on. She was in a janitor's closet. He set her down.

"How dare you!" she cried indignantly.

"I wanted to talk with you alone."

"You said you were patient."

He smiled. "What can I say? You bring out the best in me."

She blushed furiously as she noticed their close proximity. Far too close.

"I-I said I don't want to talk with you!"

"I respect your wishes, but give me a moment."

Hoping he would be caught off guard, she rushed to the door. It remained in place as he splayed his palm against it, effectively keeping it shut.

"If you respect my wishes, then let me out!"

"In a moment," he insisted.

She yanked on the door knob. It didn't budge. _Stupid, old-fashioned doors! When are they going to upgrade these? _Her thoughts were cut off as she realized how intensely he was watching her. He leaned towards her. Azura quickly stepped back. He followed her. She was about to put more distance in between them when she ran into the wall. With her back pressed against the wall, he ventured closer still. Her body trembled and her knees buckled.

"Let. Me. Out," she demanded adamantly.

He gave her a small smile as he leaned closer. Her body trembled harder. _I shouldn't be reacting to him like this! _His aura of power frightened her.

"Stop or I'll… scream."

"Patience. I just need a moment," he coaxed, completely at ease.

"I'm going to," she threatened.

"Don't."

She inhaled deeply.

"You won't like the consequences," he warned.

She opened her mouth and prepared to belt out the loudest scream she could muster. She was suddenly stopped as his mouth covered hers. His warm lips were gentle, but firm. He drew away quickly. Azura could hardly swallow. Heat engulfed her body. She grimaced. _Why did I let him use me like that? _She shivered with anger as well as fear.

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

She saw something reminiscent to regret flicker in his eyes.

"I warned you."

Azura clenched her fists as scalding tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She ducked her head, refusing to meet his gaze.

_A Rodian approached her. His eyes perused her body. A promising grin split his face. _

"_You sing like a lovely, little bird."_

_Azura murmured her thanks before walking to the backroom for her meal. She thought no more of him. She finished her meal and walked to her room. The hallway was so quiet. She could feel fear seep through her, but dismissed it as a childish, irrational fear. Her room was dark. She blindly felt for the light switch. She drew back, as if burned, when she felt a warm piece of cloth instead. _

"_Tell me, little bird, have you ever been captured before?"_

_His voice seemed to grate on her ears. She gasped sharply and turned to open the door. It was locked. Fear paralyzed her, electrifying her body with terror. She felt something grab her from the darkness. She squealed as a firm hand clamped over her mouth. She clawed and slashed viciously at the blanket of darkness surrounding her. Her efforts were rewarded with a low hiss of pain. He grabbed her. She could feel fury pumping through his arms and legs as he pinned her. She felt drowned in her own utter helplessness. She turned her face to the side as he covered her neck with his hot lips. It felt as though they were scorching her skin. She flinched as she felt his hand tracing her hips. He seemed so consumed with her. She remembered his unblinking, large eyes, a physical trait all Rodians shared. She yanked her wrist from his grip and blindly scratched the space in front of her. She touched a wet, globe-shaped object. He fell off of her, gasping with pain and muttering curses. Azura ran to the door and unlocked it. She fled down the hallway and locked herself in the storage closet. She was found and forced out the next day. After all, she had a song to sing. Azura tried to explain what had happened. They offered apathetic, sarcastic smiles and told her if she wanted her next meal, she'd sing. _

The memory was over in a flash. Azura shuddered. She had just been sold as a slave. She hadn't yet grown accustomed to servitude.

"Azura?"

A gentle voice emerged through her thoughts. She flinched.

"Don't."

It almost sounded like a sob. She pushed against his broad chest and stepped past him. A mop handle caught her feet and she raced to meet the floor. Her fall abruptly stopped as he caught her wrist and pulled her back up.

"Azura."

"I don't want to talk to you. Please, leave me," she begged.

"No, Azura. I need to know."

She wondered how his voice could be so stern and soft. She tried yanking her wrist from his grasp to no avail. Her chest heaved. She held in her sobs. She'd cried far too much within the past few days.

"Know what?"

"Why do you hate me?"

She pulled again. "Let me go."

He simply looked at her. She pulled harder. She tried unwinding his hand from around her wrist.

"Let go!"

She yanked harder and even tried kicking. He captured her other wrist and pulled her close to him. She could feel his chest emanating warmth, they were so close. His warm breath blew a few stray strands of hair on her face. She refused to meet his gaze, watching the floor instead.

"Azura."

His nagging, yet gentle voice demanded her attention. She wouldn't give it. He brought her wrists together and held them both in one hand. He gently grabbed her chin and forced her to meet his gaze.

"Azura," he repeated, willing her to reply.

She shut her eyes. A look of pain crossed her face. "Let go."

"Azura, I have to know."

Her eyes fluttered open. "Why? Why _must _you know?"

"It's important to me, Azura," he whispered tenderly.

Her gaze slid to the side. He pulled her against his chest. His nose tickled her ear. She let out a tiny gasp and squirmed uncomfortably. She didn't like being so intimately handled. She felt his lips softly graze her slender neck. Her face heated. She summoned enough courage to meet his gaze. His hazel eyes twinkled. _He knows! He's trying to make me feel like this. _

"Stop," she whispered, breathless.

"Alright, let's make a deal."

He paused.

"I'm listening," she prompted.

"You answer my question and I let you go."

"This isn't a negotiation! It's an interrogation."

He smiled slightly. "Perhaps."

"What if you just release me and both of us forget what happened?"

"What if I don't want to forget?"

She swallowed as blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Azura."

His eyes seemed so pure and sincere. His gaze held her captive.

"Why do you hate me?"

He seemed pained to say it.

"Because… if you had-" She stopped suddenly as she contained her tears and sobs. "If you-you hadn't pulled that stunt and all, Eva would be alive."

Her chest gently heaved as she tried to subdue her sobs. His grip tightened as he held her closer. His other hand stroked her hair. Azura furiously wiped away her tears and tried pushing away from his chest. He let his grip loosen. Slightly.

"Because," she continued. "How you're using me to get what you want."

He gave her a perplexed look.

"You wanted information? Well now you have it. Let me go," she sobbed.

"Very well," he whispered.

His withdrew his arms and stepped back. The air seemed cold in contrast. She shivered. Suddenly, she felt his warm hand rubbing her arms. Her trembling increased. She swatted his hands away and ran out of the closet, utterly humiliated. No one had ever seen her without her defenses. No one had even gotten past her defenses, but somehow, he'd found the chink in her armor.


End file.
